Department for Transport

Blue Badge Scheme: EU Countries

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that Blue Badge pass holders are able to use that badge when travelling in Europe.

Wendy Morton: The Government remains committed to confirming the status of UK issued Blue Badges for motorists visiting Europe. Twenty countries have already committed to recognising Blue Badges and are listed on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-badge-using-it-in-the-eu/using-a-blue-badge-in-the-european-union Discussions are yet to conclude with a number of countries. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the progress of discussions while they are ongoing.

Department for Transport: Sustainable Development

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a senior manager in his Department has been given the portfolio for leading on departmental sustainability.

Andrew Stephenson: The Director for Corporate Finance and Property has been given the portfolio for leading on the direct environmental impacts associated with the Department’s operational activities (i.e. running the office and non-office estate). Departmental Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs) are responsible for managing sustainability within their own organisations on behalf of DfT.

Department for Transport: Training

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has implemented a training programme to provide civil servants with skills to support its transition to net zero.

Andrew Stephenson: In September 2021, the department launched its Carbon Literacy training programme to build capability within DfT staff to enable the delivery of Net Zero. The training is accredited by the Carbon Literacy Project (a charitable organisation) and it reflects the department’s commitment to establish a sustainable low carbon culture that will support the transition to Net Zero. DfT is also now a corporate partner of Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) - the largest professional body for environmental practitioners in the UK and worldwide to equip DfT staff with resources and skills to further support them in their transition to Net Zero.

Transport for London: Expenditure

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what non-capital funding his Department provided to Transport for London in each of the last 12 years for which figures are available.

Trudy Harrison: Transport for London funding agreed via Spending Review settlements.YearTFL grant CapitalNon-Capital2010/2011£2,871,589,000[1]2011/2012£1,943,000,000£861,000,0002012/2013£1,922,000,000£881,000,0002013/2014£1,084,000,000£904,000,0002014/2015£846,000,000£928,000,0002015/2016£925,000,000£629,000,0002016/2017£944,000,000£447,000,0002017/2018£960,000,000[2]£228,000,0002018/2019£976,000,000£02019/2020£993,000,000£02020/2021£1,010,000,000£5bn COVID emergency funding2021/2022£1,010,000,0002 From April 2017, received through the Business Rates Retention Scheme  [1] Funding was not split by capital/non-capital in this year

Railways: Concessions

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has carried out an equality impact assessment of bereaved partners losing access to the Two Together railcard following the death of their partner; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of making a comparable discount available to such passengers.

Wendy Morton: The Rail Delivery Group is the product owner of the Two Together Railcard. While railcard terms and conditions state that they are non-refundable, a partial refund can be considered on the death of a railcard holder. Cases are considered individually and I would urge anyone who finds themselves in this situation to contact the Rail Delivery Group directly.

Railways: Exhaust Emissions

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in the context of reductions in rail passenger demand resulting in reduced services, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of resultant reduced rail use on transport emissions; and whether the Government plans to encourage the shift to rail use to help meet emissions targets.

Wendy Morton: As set out in the Transport Decarbonisation plan and the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail we are committed to increasing the use of rail by both passengers and freight to reduce transport emissions. Under our plans we will grow, not shrink the network, investing in new lines, trains, services and electrification, including £96bn through our Integrated Rail Plan alone.

Bus Services: Newcastle Upon Tyne East and Wallsend

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the (a) economic, (b) social and (c) environmental impact on the local area of the removal of the Q3 bus between St Peter's Basin and Wallsend.

Trudy Harrison: The Department has made no such assessment.

Bus Services and Railways

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will launch a campaign this summer to encourage the general public to return to travelling by bus and train.

Trudy Harrison: The Department is working closely with operators and local transport authorities to support measures to increase passenger safety, and confidence and encourage a return to the bus and rail networks. A campaign is being launched this Spring and will continue running up to the summer to encourage the general public to return to travelling by train. The national advertising and marketing campaign ‘Let’s get back on track’ will be supported by promotions by the train operators.

Bus Services and Railways: North East

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of the £150 million support package for bus and light rail operators announced on 1 March 2022 will be allocated to operators in the North East of England.

Trudy Harrison: Allocations for the Bus and Light Rail recovery package have not yet been made. The Department has requested information from bus operators and Local Transport Authorities to enable us to make these allocations, which will be on the basis of need.

Taxis: Disability

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the Government has not yet introduced mandatory disability awareness training for taxi drivers through new national minimum standards for licensing authorities; and what his planned timetable is for all taxi drivers to have completed that training.

Wendy Morton: Effective disability awareness training can help ensure drivers have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide passengers with appropriate assistance, helping them to travel independently.Taxi and private hire vehicle licensing is a devolved matter in all UK nations. The Department for Transport remains committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers in England through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows. We continue to work through the normal government channels to identify a suitable legislative vehicle and sufficient Parliamentary time to take forward this important measure.In the meantime, we will publish a consultation on updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities in England later in the year, including a stronger recommendation that every driver is required to complete disability awareness training.

Taxis: Disability

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to introduce mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and private hire drivers through new national minimum standards for licensing authorities in 2022.

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Leader of the House to schedule parliamentary time to take forward the introduction of mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities.

Wendy Morton: Effective disability awareness training can help ensure drivers have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide passengers with appropriate assistance, helping them to travel independently.Taxi and private hire vehicle licensing is a devolved matter in all UK nations. The Department for Transport remains committed to introducing mandatory disability awareness training for taxi and PHV drivers in England through new National Minimum Standards for licensing authorities when Parliamentary time allows. We continue to work through the normal government channels to identify a suitable legislative vehicle and sufficient Parliamentary time to take forward this important measure.In the meantime, we will publish a consultation on updated best practice guidance for local licensing authorities in England later in the year, including a stronger recommendation that every driver is required to complete disability awareness training.

Railways: Trespass

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to protect people from trespassing on railways.

Wendy Morton: The rail industry in partnership with the British Transport Police has a well-established programme of work to target trespass and disruption on the rail network. We are working hard to support these work streams to safeguard the vulnerable and deliver a safer transport network.

Department for Education

Apprentices

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship starts there were in the (a) London Borough of Ealing or (b) lowest level data set available in each of the last four reporting periods; and what the average number of those starts was in (a) London and (b) England.

Alex Burghart: The number of apprenticeship starts for Ealing, Southall constituency, the London Borough of Ealing, London and England in the previous four academic years are presented in the table below, along with an average of those four years and figures for the first quarter of the current academic year. 2017-282018-192019-202020-21AverageQ1 (Aug – Oct) 2021-22Ealing, Southall Constituency420480380380410140London Borough of Ealing1,3601,5001,1901,2301,320450London36,83040,75033,89036,93037,10013,070England375,760393,380322,530321,440353,280130,240Please note:Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.Total values for England include a small number of learners living outside England where a home address is not known.Source: Individualised Learner RecordGeography is based upon the home postcode of the learner.Further information on apprenticeship starts can be found in the Apprenticeships and traineeships statistics publication:https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.

Special Educational Needs: Reviews

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his planned timetable is for consulting on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Review.

Will Quince: The outcome of the SEND Review will be published as a green paper for full public consultation by the end of March.

Department for Education: Sustainable Development

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether a senior manager in his Department has been given the portfolio for leading on departmental sustainability.

Michelle Donelan: The government is committed to making its estate and operations more sustainable and resilient, through the Greening Government Commitments. We report on these commitments every quarter.In the Department for Education, this is led by the Deputy Director for Estates, working to the Chief Operating Officer.

Department for Education: Training

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has implemented a training programme to provide civil servants with skills to support its transition to net zero.

Michelle Donelan: The department has established a Sustainability and Climate Change unit to co-ordinate and drive activity across the department and its sectors. The division will ensure everyone in the department has the awareness and knowledge needed to support the transition to net zero, using resources being developed within the new Government Curriculum, and through broader support provided by the department’s sustainability experts.

Special Educational Needs: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support pupils with Special Education Needs in the Borough of Havering.

Will Quince: The department is committed to ensuring that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in all areas receive the support they need to realise their potential.More than £45 million of targeted support for families and parents of children and young people with SEND will be allocated over the next three financial years.High needs funding, specifically for supporting children with more complex SEND, will increase by £1 billion in the 2022/23 financial year, bringing the overall total of funding for high needs to £9.1 billion. Of this, Havering London Borough Council will receive £37 million, an increase of 13.6% per head of their population aged 2 to 18 years old. This increase, of 13% nationally, comes on top of the £1.5 billion increase over the last two years and will continue to support the local authorities and schools with the increasing costs they are facing.The department is also investing £2.6 billion between 2022 and 2025 to deliver new places and improve existing provision for pupils with SEND or who require alternative provision. This funding represents a significant, transformational investment in new high needs provision and will help deliver tens of thousands of new places.

Children: Social Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to collect data from local authorities on the provision of early help services.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Government has made of the effect on the wellbeing of young people of requiring local authorities to provide early help services.

Will Quince: The government does not currently collect data on the type of support provided through early help services and its impact on wellbeing. The Supporting Families Programme is testing ways of collecting needs and outcomes data on early help. The government will also consider any relevant recommendations from the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. Learning from both will inform any next steps.

Schools: Defibrillators

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to require every school to have a defibrillator.

Will Quince: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Crawley, to the answer I gave on 2 December 2021 to Question 79483.

Further Education: Finance

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to require local authorities to include colleges when distributing Government funding to help those educational settings tackle staffing needs.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will advise local authorities to ringfence a proportionate amount of the high needs budget to further education providers.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will advise local authorities that they should adjust the high needs budget settlement in response to fee increases for specialist college places.

Will Quince: Local authorities’ responsibilities, in respect of colleges and further education, are focused on securing appropriate provision for young people with particularly challenging special educational needs, through their high needs budgets.Local authorities set their high needs budgets at the beginning of each financial year, and report on how much they propose to spend on different categories of provision. Having collected this information from each local authority, the department publishes local authorities’ budget statements, usually in September. As decisions on the placement of students with more complex needs are often not confirmed until after the beginning of the financial year, it is important that local authorities retain budget flexibility to respond to changing needs and demands during the year. It would therefore not be appropriate to advise local authorities to set aside and ring-fence a fixed amount of their high needs budget for further education, which could not be varied.More generally, the department does not prescribe in detail how local authorities should allocate their high needs funding. Our guidance indicates that their spending decisions should be fair and reasonable and should enable them to discharge their duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 across the full 0-25 age range for which they are responsible. Nationally, local authorities will receive an increase of £1 billion in financial year 2022/23, bringing the overall high needs budget to a total of £9.1 billion. This increase takes account of the range of pressures on their high needs budgets, particularly those relating to a rise in the number of children and young people with education, health and care plans. As a result, local authorities should be able to afford some increase to the high needs funding they pass on to specialist and other colleges, where that is required to meet the cost pressures those colleges are facing, including the costs of meeting staffing needs.

Further Education: Special Educational Needs

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to require local authorities to establish a joint local authority provider for further education planning forums with which they publish strategic plans for provision for 16-25 year olds with high needs.

Will Quince: The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice 2015 sets out the statutory duties on local authorities to develop and publish a Local Offer, which describes the support they expect to be available for local children and young people with SEND. This must include provision in the local authority’s area and provision outside the local area that the local authority expects is likely to be used by children and young people with SEND.The local offer must include provision available from the full range of post-16 providers. The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to keep the provision for children and young people with SEND under review (including its sufficiency), working with parents, young people, and providers.The Skills and Post-16 Education Bill will create a new duty on further education sector providers to review provision in relation to local needs, which builds on the existing duties on local authorities to keep educational, training and social care provision for children and young people with SEND under review. We are also engaging with employers and providers to explore how they can better work together through local skills improvement plans to unlock the full potential of learners with SEND and help them progress into good jobs that meet local skills shortages.

Further Education: Qualifications

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of choice available for students of streamlining post-16 qualifications.

Alex Burghart: The department is streamlining and improving the quality of the post-16 qualifications system at level 3 and below. We are strengthening the progression pathways, creating clearly defined academic and technical routes with high-quality qualifications leading to further study and/or skilled employment.This clarity of purpose will help students to make good choices and see more easily how their study will help them to progress. At level 3, A levels and T Levels will be at the core of study programmes for most young people. For other students, a combination of A levels with other high-quality qualifications will be the right choice.As set out in our plans for reform of level 3 qualifications, published in July 2021, students will continue to be able to study qualifications similar to current Applied General Qualifications (AGQs) as part of mixed programmes alongside A levels, where they meet new quality standards and support progression to higher education. For example, students can progress in areas such as engineering, applied science, and information technology. Students will also be able to study qualifications like AGQs as their full programme of study where there is no A level or T Level, in areas such as performing and creative arts, and sports science.Qualifications that do not meet new standards or the criteria for funding will not be funded in future. In the department’s impact assessment published alongside its policy statement on level 3 qualifications last summer, we were clear that students taking qualifications that are not funded in future will benefit most from these changes, as they are more likely to be taking qualifications that do not deliver the skills employers need.Students will have access to higher-quality qualifications in the future, including new T Levels. This will put them in a stronger position to progress onto further study or skilled employment. We also noted in our impact assessment that some students may find it more difficult to achieve level 3 in future. We are putting in place support for these students, such as the T Level Transition Programme and the pilot academic progression programme, with the aim of improving progression to level 3.Alongside reforms to level 3 qualifications, the department wants to improve qualifications and study at level 2, level 1, and entry level. We are currently consulting on proposed reforms to level 2 and below, and the consultation remains open until 27 April 2022.Alongside the consultation, the department published its initial impact assessment. This states that we would expect the impact of the proposals at level 2 and below to be generally positive for all students, through an improved qualification landscape that is high-quality and better equips students for progression into employment or further study at higher levels.Our proposed reforms will result in a good choice of high-quality qualifications to meet student and employer needs. This will be easier for students and employers to navigate than the current offer of around 8,000 qualifications.

Further Education: Recruitment

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to include further education recruitment in his Department's planned advertising and campaigning.

Alex Burghart: As outlined in the Skills for Jobs White Paper, the government is committed to reforming technical education to address skills shortages. To succeed, we need to attract more high-calibre further education (FE) teachers to fill critical vacancies, particularly in key subjects given quality of teaching is the biggest determinant of student outcomes.The department launched a national recruitment campaign in January 2022 to raise awareness of the opportunities in FE teaching. The campaign is specifically designed to target experienced industry experts in shortage subject areas by encouraging them to share their skills with the next generation. Alongside the campaign we have introduced a new digital service to make it easier for prospective FE teachers to access information and support to guide them through to teaching jobs.This is the first time we have run a recruitment campaign for FE teachers and we will be using it to inform our plans for future campaigns.

Veterinary Medicine: Training

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of granting a second student loan to prospective veterinary studies students who have already completed an undergraduate degree in a separate subject in order to help tackle the shortage of veterinarians in the UK.

Michelle Donelan: In most cases, students who already have an equivalent or higher-level higher education qualification, compared with the one offered by their current course, will not qualify for maintenance or fee support.However, the department recognises the need to promote access to professions by protecting the position of students who wish to retrain in the following subjects: teaching, architecture, social work, medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and healthcare. Students on these courses may qualify for some support, even when they already have an equivalent level qualification.Students undertaking a full-time second degree in veterinary studies will qualify for maintenance support for the duration of their course.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy: Prices

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made on (a) the increase in energy prices for consumers and (b) the impact if that on people in the North West.

Greg Hands: The published fuel poverty projections for 2022, show that while most households will need to pay more for their energy bills from April, the financial support offered combined with action on energy efficiency will keep the number of households in fuel poverty on a slight declining trend. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics. These projections are at a national level for England and no projections have been made at the regional level. We are already taking action to support households with rising energy bills. The government is providing a package of support worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23 which includes a £150 Council Tax rebate for bands A-D, £144 million discretionary funding for local authorities and a £200 energy bill reduction which will help over 28 million households. This is in addition to the support Government will continue to provide through the Warm Home Discount Scheme, which this winter is providing over 2 million households a £140 rebate off their energy bill. We have announced that it would be increasing to £150 and help an extra 780,000 households next winter. Further, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments help ensure the most vulnerable are better able to heat their homes over the colder months.

Fuels: Prices

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing an independent watchdog for fuel pump pricing.

Greg Hands: BEIS monitors the fuel supply market and publishes weekly national average pump prices. BEIS analysis shows that crude oil prices are the main drivers of changes in pump prices and both rises and falls in crude oil prices are passed through to consumers over the course of 6-7 weeks. A competitive market ensures that road fuel prices stay as low as possible. This framework delivers to the UK pre-tax prices below the average in Europe for both petrol and diesel. Our assessment is that a new regulator is not justified.

Energy: Prices

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the costs of electricity and gas transmission and distribution networks to consumers.

Greg Hands: Data from the independent Great Britain energy regulator, Ofgem, show that the average estimated network costs per domestic customer per year in March 2021 were: gas distribution - £121; electricity distribution - £93; electricity transmission - £35; gas transmission - £10. This data is published at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-data-and-research/data-portal/all-available-charts?sort=created&page=2 (chart: ‘estimated network costs per domestic customer’).

Fuel Oil

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to amend the Weights and Measures Act to decrease the 500 litre minimum required for a delivery of heating oil.

Greg Hands: At present there are no plans to decrease the 500-litre minimum required for a delivery of heating oil. For many years the industry standard for a minimum delivery of oil for efficiency reasons has been 500 litres, using mechanical meters calibrated and sealed by Trading Standards using tamper proof seals. Whilst legislation allows the minimum delivery to be lower than 500 litres using electronic meters, any equipment must meet statutory requirements in terms of the accuracy of delivery, and type approval for the equipment must be obtained. The vast majority of heating oil delivery vehicles are fitted with mechanical meters only. The National Measurement and Regulation Office advise that smaller deliveries than the certified amount should not be made without the tankers meter being approved for smaller deliveries. However due to the costs involved in making smaller deliveries and the reduction of productivity levels, the price per litre is likely to be proportionately much higher.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the levels of floating offshore wind deployment required by 2035 to meet the Sixth Carbon Budget.

Greg Hands: By 2035, all our electricity will need to come from low carbon sources, subject to security of supply. A low-cost, net zero consistent electricity system is most likely to be composed predominantly of wind (fixed bottom and floating) and solar generation. The UK is already generating enough electricity from offshore wind to power every home in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland twice over. To help keep us on track for our Carbon Budget 6 and net zero targets we will need to deploy substantial volumes of floating offshore wind. Our 2030 target for floating offshore wind is a stepping stone to further growth in the UK, which will develop opportunities in the associated industrial supply chain putting us at the forefront of this new technology.

Wind Power

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when his Department plans to publish its analysis of potential offshore wind development scenarios which could be in place by 2050.

Greg Hands: This study is led by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, The Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland, with consultancy support from Arup. It is part of the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme, and is due to be completed in spring 2022.

Petrochemicals: Biofuels

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to invest in biofuels as an alternative to petrochemicals.

Greg Hands: The Biomass Strategy (due to be published later this year) will review the amount of sustainable biomass available to the UK and how this resource could be best utilised across the economy to help achieve our net zero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050.

Fuel Oil: Prices

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to introduce financial protection for consumers of heating oil equivalent to the existing energy price cap on gas and electricity.

Greg Hands: The Government believes it is essential that consumers of domestic fuels get a fair deal.  There is an open market for the supply of heating oil in the UK as we believe this provides the best long-term guarantee of competitive prices. A price cap is not necessary as consumers can shop around and switch supplier more easily than for gas and electricity. Customers who are not on the gas grid will be protected by the energy price cap if they are on a default tariff with their electricity supplier.

Fuel Oil: Prices

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help support consumers with the rising price of heating oil.

Greg Hands: The Government believes it is essential that consumers of heating oil get a fair deal. There is an open market for the supply of heating oil in the UK as we believe this provides the best long-term guarantee of competitive prices. Consumers of heating oil will be eligible for the £200 energy rebate as long as they are also domestic electricity customers. Financial support remains available for heating oil customers with energy bills, if eligible, through the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payment schemes.

Fuels: Competition

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure competition in the fuel industry.

Greg Hands: Competitive markets ensure that consumers get a fair deal when they visit the pumps and that road fuel prices stay as low as possible. My Department actively monitors fuel prices. If people have evidence of anti-competitive practices in the fuel supply sector, this should be passed onto the Competition Markets Authority.

Fuels: Ashfield and Eastwood

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people in Ashfield and Eastwood constituency can access fuel for cars.

Greg Hands: There is no shortage of road fuel in the UK. BEIS publishes weekly statistics for road fuels online (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/average-road-fuel-sales-and-stock-levels). Customers can continue to purchase fuel as they normally would. The Government announced it will phase out Russian oil imports by end of year, which will allow UK oil operators appropriate time to adjust and protect supply of road fuels. The UK remains a significant producer of petroleum products. Demand for these fuels, including diesel, is also met by imports from a diverse range of reliable suppliers beyond Russia including Norway, Saudi Arabia and the USA.

Heat Pumps

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to increase the number of (a) air and (b) ground source heat pumps to help decrease dependency on heating oil.

Greg Hands: The Government is providing targeted funding to support the installation of heat pumps in off-gas grid buildings. This includes the £1.1bn Home Upgrade Grant, which will improve the worst performing low-income, off gas grid homes through energy efficiency and low carbon heat measures, and the £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which will provide upfront grants to households and small businesses wishing to transition to low carbon heating, including buildings in off gas grid areas. The Government has also consulted on proposals to end the installation of new fossil fuel heating in off-gas grid buildings, with a ‘heat pump first’ approach to replacement heating systems. We are currently reviewing responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.

Small Businesses: Electric Vehicles

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the effective delivery of a ZEV charging infrastructure roadmap for small businesses by 2030; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands: We will invest over £1.3 billion in accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure over the next four years. Government’s forthcoming EV Infrastructure Strategy will define our vision for the continued roll-out of a world-leading charging infrastructure network across the UK. The strategy will focus on how we will unlock the chargepoint rollout needed to enable the transition from early adoption to mass market uptake of EVs. Small business can access the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) which is expanding from 1 April 2022 to include small accommodation businesses and the charity sector. Businesses can receive grants of up to £350 per socket for installing up to 40 charging sockets.

Housing: Energy

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he has taken to invest in the skills required for retrofitting homes; and what estimate he has made of the number of people supporting retrofitting programmes.

Greg Hands: The Government recognises the need for a skilled, competent and robust supply chain to deliver the improvements to buildings necessary to meet the Government’s net zero targets. The Department spent almost £6 million on a skills training competition which delivered around 7,000 training opportunities for the energy efficiency and low carbon heating supply chains. The Government has also previously provided £4.7 million of funding over a period of two and a half years to six local supply chain demonstration pilots which tested innovative approaches for supporting and growing the energy efficiency installer supply chain. There are over 1,600 TrustMark registered companies that are able to work on BEIS retrofitting schemes and these companies will employ more individuals that are able to work on home retrofit.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Training

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has implemented a training programme to provide civil servants with skills to support its transition to net zero.

Greg Hands: Yes. The new Government Curriculum will include modules on the implications of Net Zero, climate change and wider environmental issues for government. In the first phase, the Government Skills & Curriculum Unit (GSCU) is working with other Departments (including BEIS, DEFRA and FCDO) to create an awareness level training resource for all civil servants. This will be piloted from April 2022. In the next phases, GSCU will look at tailored provision for specific Functions and Professions, and will signpost the training and other resources on Net Zero which are already being provided internally at practitioner and expert levels by government Departments.

Small Businesses: Carbon Emissions

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what strategies he has put in place with Cabinet colleagues to ensure effective implementation of policies that support small business with the transition to net zero; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands: The Government continues to support UK businesses in meeting their net zero commitments. The former Net Zero Business Champion, my Hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs, led the Race to Zero campaign targeting small and medium businesses, which boasts 2,926 UK small business commitments to date, constituting ~80% of global signups. More widely, most departments now have a ministerial environment lead to ensure that the environment is considered in areas not directly linked to net zero, and Cabinet Office has led on the replacement of Single Departmental Plans with Outcome Delivery Plans across Whitehall, which allows for more joined-up planning across different department’s priorities. Businesses can visit the UK Business Climate Hub to sign up and get advice on how to reduce emissions, including sector-specific guidance. Upon making a climate commitment, businesses gain access to a suite of tools for reducing their emissions, including a carbon calculator tool, a modular, interactive education course and CDP’s new standard reporting framework. All small businesses making a climate commitment receive monthly communications from the Department, which signpost the latest policy and regulatory changes in addition to the “Together For Our Planet” digital toolkit.

Energy: Billing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make it his policy to include the proposals in the Local Electricity Bill in any forthcoming energy bill.

Greg Hands: The government agrees with the broad aims of the Local Electricity Bill, but does not support it as the means to enable local energy supply. There are already mechanisms in the market to allow local supply. The current Ofgem regulatory regime allows for a company to supply a specific geographic area, and small-scale generators can also apply for a licence exemption in some cases to reduce the regulatory burdens of operating at a community level.

Tidal Power

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to develop tidal power as a significant alternative source of energy in light of the energy security situation caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Greg Hands: The UK has the world's largest deployment of tidal stream power, and the Government took steps to accelerate that deployment with the announcement in November 2021 that the ongoing Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 4 will feature a ringfenced budget for tidal stream developments. Moreover, the Government remains open to considering well-developed proposals for harnessing the tidal range energy in our bays and estuaries, provided that such proposals can demonstrate clear and beneficial impacts on the energy system and good value for money.

Wind Power

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he will take to increase (a) on- and (b) off-shore wind power.

Greg Hands: The Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme is the Government’s flagship scheme for supporting new low-carbon electricity generation projects in Great Britain. The latest auction is underway and aims to secure more low-carbon electricity capacity than the previous three rounds combined, supporting an expanded number of renewable technologies, including offshore wind, onshore wind, solar, tidal stream, and floating offshore wind. In February, the Government also announced that the next CfD allocation round will be brought forward to March 2023, and future rounds will run annually, rather than every two years, thereafter. These steps will help drive forward the deployment of renewable power.

District Heating: Regulation

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what regulations currently apply to district heating schemes to protect consumers; and whether he is considering introducing further regulations of that nature.

Greg Hands: Until now, there have been no sector specific protections for heat network consumers, unlike for people on other utilities such as gas, electricity or water. However, heat networks consumers have had some protection through The Heat Network Metering and Billing Regulations 2014 (HNMBR). HNMBR 2014 (as amended in 2015 and 2020) contain requirements related to the notification of heat networks and to the metering of heat and cooling as well as billing for customers on heat networks.  Heat meters support fair and transparent billing based on actual consumption and can drive energy efficiency savings and cost reductions. We recognise the need to ensure heat network consumers receive a fair price for their heating. That is why we are committed to legislating within this parliament to regulate the heat networks sector and in December we announced that Ofgem will take on the role of regulator. We will therefore give Ofgem new powers to regulate prices in this sector as a matter of priority. This will enable equivalent protection for domestic heat network customers as well as ensuring heat network operators are securing good purchasing deals for their consumers. This will mean that consumers are charged a fair rate for heating whilst encouraging investment in heat networks.

Energy: Conservation

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of investing in retrofitting homes to reduce energy use.

Greg Hands: The Government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy sets out a comprehensive package of measures to retrofit homes across the country. Alongside this we announced more than £3.9 billion of new funding for decarbonising heat and buildings, bringing the total commitment in this Parliament to £6.6bn. Support is especially targeted at lower-income households through schemes such as the Home Upgrade Grant, Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Local Authority Delivery Scheme. In addition to this, the Government has committed to extending the Energy Company Obligation from 2022 to 2026, boosting its value from £640 million to £1 billion a year. This will help an extra 305,000 families with green measures such as insulation. Improved energy efficiency in homes will directly benefit people in fuel poverty, helping them to reduce their bills and live in a warm and comfortable environment.

Companies House

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with Companies House on the estimated time it will take to implement the relevant powers and responsibilities contained in the Economic Crime Bill.

Paul Scully: Departmental officials hold frequent discussions with Companies House counterparts on a wide range of issues, including measures to improve the integrity of information on the companies register and the implementation of any new powers and responsibilities. The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill received Royal Assent this week. Work on implementing the relevant powers and responsibilities contained in the Act has now begun.

Companies: Russia

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether companies that have been sanctioned by the UK or are owned by people who have been sanctioned by the UK in relation to Russia's invasion of Ukraine received loans through (a) the bounce back loan scheme, (b) the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme, (c) coronavirus large business interruption loan scheme; and if he will publish details of those companies.

Paul Scully: In order to be eligible for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme or the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, a business was required to be trading in the United Kingdom. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Schemes are delegated schemes, where customer relationships are managed by accredited lenders. We do not hold information on whether any loan recipients of these schemes have received subsequent sanctions.

Companies: Russia

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many companies owned by Russian nationals or with significant links to Russia received (a) bounce back loans, (b) coronavirus business interruption loans, or (c) coronavirus large business interruption loans; and if he will publish details of those companies.

Paul Scully: In order to be eligible for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme or the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, a business was required to be trading in the United Kingdom. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Schemes are delegated schemes, where customer relationships are managed by accredited lenders. We do not hold data on whether recipients of borrowing via the schemes are Russian nationals or have registered interests in the Russian Federation.

Bounce Back Loan Scheme: Fraud

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help ensure that claims on the state back guarantee on bounce back loans are assessed for fraud risk.

Paul Scully: The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) Guarantee Agreement and subsequent recovery principles document outline the minimum fraud protection standards lenders were expected to adhere to. If a lender fails to apply these minimum standards, they cannot make a claim on the guarantee. The British Business Bank, who manages the BBLS scheme on behalf of Government, maintains an ongoing lender audit assurance programme which provides insight into the effectiveness and adequacy of recoveries efforts by lenders. Where issues are identified the Bank can take remedial action.

Department of Health and Social Care

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer Question 119799, tabled on 7 February 2022 by the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Nurses: Recruitment

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason midwives and health visitors were not included in the Government’s target to increase the number of nurses; and on what date his Department took the decision not to include them in that target.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to answer Question 120845, tabled by the hon Member for Lewisham, Deptford.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to assist people who do not have online access to order lateral flow device tests in order to visit loved ones in care homes, in areas where pharmacies no longer have supplies.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Standards

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Standard Contract 2022-23, what estimate his Department has made of the number of patients waiting 12 hours or more in emergency departments from time of arrival.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Standards

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS performance figures for February 2022, what estimate his Department has made of the number of patients waiting 12 hours or more in emergency departments from decision to admit.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Standards

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Standard Contract 2022-23, in what format the 12-hour standard for maximum waits from the time of arrival in emergency departments will be published.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Older People

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether guidance on housing-with-care provision will be introduced via the task force on older people’s housing announced in the Levelling Up White Paper.

Gillian Keegan: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Diabetes and Eating Disorders

Sir Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2022 to Question 106670, on Diabetes and Eating Disorders, when the means of increasing awareness among healthcare professionals of the risks for those who have type 1 diabetes and an eating disorder will be finalised and rolled out across the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department of Health and Social Care: Written Questions

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to substantively respond to Questions (a) 124936 on Surgical Mesh Implants: South East, due for Answer on 23 February, (b) 127247 on Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Independent Review, due for answer on 25 February and (c) 131025 on Members: Correspondence, seeking a response to a letter dated 6 December 2021 from the Rt hon. Member for New Forest East about a vulnerable constituent and due for answer on 3 March; for what reason none of the substantive answers have yet been forthcoming; and what steps he plans take to ensure that Questions receive a substantive answer on the date they are due.

Edward Argar: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has had with other Departments since it was formally established in October 2021.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Visitors: Health Services

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans the Department has to end the practice of allowing health visiting services to count remote contacts in their delivery metrics following the lifting of covid-19 restrictions.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immunosuppression: Coronavirus

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department holds any list of patients who have been identified as immunocompromised and are eligible for new covid-19 treatments first announced in December 2021; and whether such a list includes the addresses of those patients.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Screening

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many covid-19 PCR tests the NHS has sent to patients in the E17 postcode area as part of the programme to identify positive cases among people at highest risk from covid-19.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Medical Records: Coronavirus

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients with an E17 postcode have a condition marked in their NHS record which is included in the list of conditions that the NHS classify as putting people at highest risk from covid-19.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Patients

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of NHS patients with covid-19.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of trends of the level in covid-19 in York.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Health Services: Disadvantaged

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his timetable is for the publication of the Health Disparities White Paper.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Contact Tracing: Software

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to continue funding (a) King’s College London’s symptom-tracking Zoe app and (b) Imperial College London’s React-1 Covid monitoring study; for what reasons funding for those studies has been stopped; and if he will make a statement.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy Drinks: Children

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to implement the ban on sales of energy drinks to under 16s that was announced in August 2019; and if he will make a statement.

Maggie Throup: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cancer: Diagnosis

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to speed up sarcoma cancer diagnoses.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Haematology: Health Professions

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of haematological workforce shortages on patient (a) outcome and (b) experience in (i) Coventry North East constituency, (ii) Coventry, (iii) the West Midlands and (iv) England.

Edward Argar: The Department has not made a specific assessment. However, local assessments will have been made by the bodies responsible for the commissioning of services.

NHS: Staff

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) FTE nurses, (b) midwives and (c) health visitors were there in the NHS workforce as of 30 September 2019 and as of December 2021.

Edward Argar: NHS Digital publishes Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS) workforce statistics. These include staff working in hospital trusts and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), but not staff employed by local authorities or non-National Health Service providers. The publication also includes nurses working in general practice settings. This data is sourced from the Electronic Staff Record, the NHS’ human resources and payroll system.The following table shows the number of full time equivalent (FTE) midwives and health visitors in NHS trusts and CCGS in England in September 2019 and December 2021. September 2019December 2021Midwives21,49722,192Health Visitors6,9816,194 The following table shows the number of FTE nurses working in NHS trusts, CCGs and general practice settings in September 2019 and December 2021. September 2019December 2021HCHS nurses284,552311,556General practice nurses16,35216,351

General Practitioners: Pensions

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the delivery of the GP pension scheme administration by PCSE against its key performance indicators, as set out by NHS England.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made on the potential merits of replacing PCSE as the GP pension administration contractor with NHS Business Services Authority .

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of GP pensions records which (a) contain errors or (b) have not been fully updated since PCSE took over the GP pension scheme administration in 2015.

Edward Argar: The NHS Pension Scheme requires participating employers to perform certain duties, including remittance of scheme contributions and providing information on employment and pension records. NHS England and NHS Improvement are the responsible employers for performing such duties in relation to general practitioner (GP) contractors, surgery based salaried GPs and freelance GP locums in England. In September 2015 Capita was contracted to provide a service administering these functions, which established PCSE to carry out these duties on its behalf. The Department has not made a specific assessment of its performance. NHS England and NHS Improvement have a monthly governance board in place to monitor and assure the delivery of PCSE’s service, which includes an assessment of quality and performance indicators.No assessment has been made on the potential merits of moving the pensions administration service to the NHS Business Services Authority. NHS England and NHS Improvement are considering the future requirements and configuration of the PCSE’s services ahead of potential procurement processes at the end of the current contract in 2025.Whilst PCSE are reliant on GP practices submitting information promptly, there have been issues relating to the administration of GP pension records. The NHS Business Services Authority advise that there are currently 19,681 pension records in error, of which 7,127 refer to leaver information and 12,554 relate to a year-end update. These errors could relate to any employment on the member’s record and may not be related to their GP posts.There are currently 34,662 GP pension records which have at least one GP post awaiting a 2020/21 year-end update. There are several reasons why year-end updates may not have been received, including GPs not having submitted their annual figures, PCSE being unable to process updates due to previous missing years or updates not submitted to the NHS Business Service Authority.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the roll out will begin of the primary course of covid-19 vaccination for children aged five to 11, who are in a clinical risk group or who are a household contact of someone who is immunosuppressed; when parents and caregivers will be able to book their children to get their vaccine; and what steps they will need to take to make that booking.

Maggie Throup: The COVID-19 vaccine programme for children aged five to 11 years old, who are in a clinical risk group or who are household contact of someone who is immunosuppressed began on 31 January 2022. General practice teams have identified eligible children and parents and guardians will be contacted by local National Health Service teams.

Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information he holds on (a) the reasons for the Cheshire/Mersey integrated care system's (ICS) appointment of an assistant Medical Director without advertising that post and (b) the human resources arrangements for that ICS; and what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that ICS's follow best practice in relation to human resources and governance matters.

Edward Argar: The national human resources framework for establishing integrated care boards (ICBs) sets out the process to be followed in each integrated care system (ICS) for making appointments to their executive roles. Appointments can be made via an organisational change process or by a recruitment process. If posts are filled by an organisational change they will not be advertised.The Department is advised that for the Medical Director post of Cheshire/Merseyside ICS, the panel agreed to appoint two candidates, one as Executive Medical Director and the other as Associate Medical Director. These appointments are on a designate basis, subject to the successful passage of the Health and Care Bill. The individuals were also appointed on the basis that both candidates will continue to undertake some clinical work and fulfil their roles on a less than full time basis. The human resources support to the ICS is provided by the Midland and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit with a small internal Health and Care Partnership resource.The Department is working on overall implementation plans with NHS England. The Health and Care Bill proposes that the chair of an ICB be appointed by NHS England, with the approval of the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. However, the Department does not have a role in relation to other appointments that will be made to ICBs.

Members: Correspondence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to respond to the letter of 2 November 2021 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay, and subsequent emails of 20 December 2021 and 27 January 2022 on a constituent, ref JB34756.

Edward Argar: We replied to the hon. Member on 8 March 2022.

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Prescriptions

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many female patients aged between 40 and 60 received prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy in each of the last three years; and how many prescriptions were made to women of those ages in each of the last three years.

Edward Argar: The following table shows the number of identified female patients aged 40 to 60 years old prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medication and the number of prescription items for HRT medication where a patient could be identified in each of the last three years.  Number of identified patientsNumber of prescription items for which a patient could be identifiedDecember 2018 to November 2019661,9902,181,328December 2019 to November 2020614,5902,133,193December 2020 to November 2021782,6642,678,094 Source: NHS Business Services Authority Records of prescriptions written but not dispensed are not held centrally.

Members: Correspondence

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when a reply will be given to the right Hon. member for New Forest East to his letter of 6 December 2021 about a constituent who is unable to wear masks and has been required to work from home by Solent NHS Trust, despite being triple-vaccinated for covid-19 and working in a non-customer facing role at a desk two metres apart from any other in their normal workplace.

Edward Argar: We replied to the Rt hon. Member on 15 March 2022.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital: Heart Diseases

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for in-patients in Royal Shrewsbury Hospital to be seen by a cardiology consultant after a referral to a consultant cardiologist by another consultant.

Edward Argar: This information is not held in the format requested.

Care Homes: Visits

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he will publish his guidance on covid-19 testing for care home visitors from 1 April 2022.

Gillian Keegan: Regular free asymptomatic testing regimes after 1 April 2022 are currently under review, including for visitors to care homes. Further detail on the future adult social care testing provision and any changes to the guidance will be provided in due course.

Mental Health Services: Children

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the impact of the covid-19 outbreak on children’s mental health in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure children in those areas have timely access to mental health support services in (i) education and (ii) NHS settings.

Gillian Keegan: We have had no specific discussions. On 5 March 2021, we announced an additional £79 million to expand children’s mental health services in 2021/22.   This will allow around 22,500 more children and young people to access community health services, 2,000 more children and young people to access eating disorder services and increased coverage of mental health support teams (MHSTs) in schools and colleges.By 2022/23, we expect that MHSTs in England will cover 25% of the country. By 2023/24, this will increase to 399 teams, covering an estimated three million children and young people or approximately 35% of pupils. We are also delivering the £7 million Wellbeing for Education Recovery programme, which provides free expert training, support and resources for school staff dealing with children and young people experiencing trauma, anxiety or grief. The programme builds on the success of the £8 million Wellbeing for Education Return, which has been used by more than 90% of councils since its launch in summer 2020.

Tourette's Syndrome: Research

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of funding allocated to research into the (a) causes of and (b) treatments for Tourette’s syndrome.

Maria Caulfield: No specific assessment has been made. However, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has funded or supported studies into the causes and treatments for Tourette’s syndrome. This includes a study on deep brain stimulation in people with Tourette’s syndrome and a digital behavioural intervention for tics in children and adolescents. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including Tourette’s syndrome. Funding is available through open competition and we encourage researchers to submit applications in this area.

Care Homes: Coronavirus

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that covid-19 lateral flow tests are available to care homes free of charge.

Gillian Keegan: The regular asymptomatic testing regime in adult social care after 1 April 2022 is currently under review. We will set out further details in due course.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

China: Human Rights

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policy of China’s use of the charge of inciting subversion of state power to justify arrests and the detention of religious minorities, human rights activists, and critics of the government.

Amanda Milling: We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in China, including the continued harassment and detention of religious minorities and human rights defenders. We consistently raise our concerns directly with the Chinese authorities and in multilateral fora. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary underlined our concerns about human rights violations in China in an address to the UN Human Rights Council on 1 March. We continue to call on China to uphold its national laws and international obligations to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Myanmar: Embassies

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many staff are currently employed in the British Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar; and how many staff were employed in that Embassy in each of the last seven financial years.

Amanda Milling: The number of staff employed in the British Embassy in Yangon, Myanamar in each of the last seven financial years was as follows:YearxFCO staffxDFID staffFCDO staff201580-8930-39 201680-8930-39 201780-8930-39 201880-8940-49 201990-9950-59 202090-9940-49 2021  120-139

Sanctions: Belarus

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development, how sanctions against senior military personnel in Belarus for their role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine differ from sanctions targeted against Russian nationals; and whether her Department takes particular considerations into account when sanctioning Belarussian nationals.

James Cleverly: On 1 March we announced a first tranche of sanctions against Belarusian individuals and organisations in response to the role the country is playing in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including facilitating the invasion from within its borders. Four senior defence officials and two military enterprises have been sanctioned with immediate effect under the UK's Russia sanctions regime. Individuals will be unable to travel to the UK and any UK-based assets will be frozen.These designations are in addition to the wide-ranging measures we have already imposed on Belarus under our Belarus sanctions regime, which include sanctions on President Lukashenko and 117 other individuals and entities as well as trade, financial and aviation sanctions.The Foreign Secretary has committed to going further. Our intention is to extend recent Russia sanctions to Belarus in due course. The Lukashenko regime will be made to feel the economic consequences for its support for Putin.

Zhang Chunlei

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her counterparts in the (a) United Nations, (b) US Administration or (c) EU about the detention of Pastor Zhang Chunlei.

Amanda Milling: We are aware of reports that Pastor Zhang Chunlei is detained and facing charges of fraud and inciting subversion of state power. Pastor Zhang Chunlei's case adds to our deep concern about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in China. We regularly raise our concerns about human rights violations and freedom of religion or belief directly with the Chinese authorities and in multilateral fora. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary underlined our concerns in an address to the UN Human Rights Council on 1 March. We continue regular discussion and sharing of analysis on the human rights situation in China with our international partners, including the US and EU.

Zhang Chunlei

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the accuracy of reports of the detention of Pastor Zhang Chunlei; and what steps her Department has taken to raise this matter with the Government of China.

Amanda Milling: We are aware of reports that Pastor Zhang Chunlei is detained and facing charges of fraud and inciting subversion of state power. Pastor Zhang Chunlei's case adds to our deep concern about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in China. We regularly raise our concerns about human rights violations and freedom of religion or belief directly with the Chinese authorities and in multilateral fora. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary underlined our concerns in an address to the UN Human Rights Council on 1 March. We continue regular discussion and sharing of analysis on the human rights situation in China with our international partners, including the US and EU.

Somaliland: Diplomatic Relations

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of granting Somaliland diplomatic recognition.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the barriers that remain to the UK granting Somaliland diplomatic recognition.

Vicky Ford: The UK is a leading partner of Somaliland, supporting its development, security, enhancing stability and promoting economic, human and social development.Our policy remains that it is for Somaliland and the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) to come to an agreement about their future relationship. The African Union is the pre-eminent regional body mandated to defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States, of which Somalia is one. Any new arrangements would need to be recognised by the African Union and neighbours in the region. Unilateral recognition of independence by the UK would have implications for the UK approach to sovereignty more widely, and could exacerbate the Somalia conflict and increase regional tensions. We continue to support and encourage dialogue between the FGS and the Somaliland Government.

Pakistan: Kashmir

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to the Government of Pakistan on maintaining the status of Gilgit Baltistan apart from an overall settlement of the issue of the status of Kashmir; and if she will make a statement.

James Cleverly: The long-standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting, political resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator. We encourage both sides to maintain positive dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions, but the pace and scope is for them to determine.

Ukraine: Students

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assistance the Government is providing to students trapped in the Sumy region of Ukraine.

James Cleverly: The UK continues to call on Russia to implement an immediate ceasefire that allows civilians safe passage.

Myanmar: Capital Punishment

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has received representations on the death penalties given to Myanmar activists, Ko Jimmy and Zeyar Thaw, on 21 January; and if she will make a statement.

Amanda Milling: The military has arrested over 12,000 people since the coup on 1 February 2021. The UK has repeatedly condemned the arbitrary detention and politically motivated sentencing of those who oppose the coup. We are also deeply concerned about credible reports of torture. The British Embassy in Yangon released a statement on 25 October 2021 condemning the military's actions following Ko Jimmy's arrest. The UK is monitoring the situation of all political prisoners in Myanmar, including Ko Jimmy and Zeyar Thaw, carefully. We have continued to call for their release, and the release of all those who are being held in arbitrary detention. On 8 December 2021 we secured a UN Security Council Resolution which called for the release of all those arbitrarily detained.

Palestinians: Newspaper Press

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of the latest Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and the Palestinian Authority (PA), whether her Department has made representations to representatives of the PA in relation to an article in the official PA newspaper, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, on 21 August 2021 reporting that Israel’s goal is to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of the latest Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and the Palestinian Authority (PA), whether her Department has made representations to representatives of the PA on the building of a monument to Kamal Abu Wa’er in Jenin.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of the latest Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and the Palestinian Authority (PA), whether her Department has made representations to representatives of the PA on the airing of footage of children praising Dalal Mughrabi on official PA television on 22 September 2021.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of the latest Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and the Palestinian Authority (PA), whether her Department has made representations to representatives of the PA on the praising of Thaer Hammad on official PA television on 5 October 2021.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of the latest Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and the Palestinian Authority (PA), whether her Department has made representations to representatives of the PA on an exhibit celebrating convicted terrorists at the Bethlehem: Capital of Arab Culture Week in Bethlehem on 9 October 2021.

Amanda Milling: Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle any language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Myanmar: Crimes against Humanity

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of supporting the referral of Myanmar to the International Criminal Court in the context of reports of atrocities committed by the Myanmar military over the last 12 months.

Amanda Milling: The UK is clear that there must be accountability for atrocities committed in Myanmar. We condemn the ongoing serious human rights violations by the Myanmar Armed Forces. We will continue to raise these issues on the international stage, including at the UN Security Council. We have also established the Myanmar Witness programme to collect and verify evidence of serious human rights violations and abuses. This evidence could be used in any future legal proceedings.Our assessment remains that there is insufficient support amongst Security Council members for an International Criminal Court (ICC) referral at this time. It will not advance the cause of accountability for an ICC referral to fail to win Security Council support or to be vetoed; such a result would only give comfort to the Myanmar Armed Forces and reduce the pressure they currently face.

Multilateral Aid: Forced Labour

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2022 to Question 127358 on Multilateral Aid: Forced Labour, what assessment her Department has made of the likelihood of Uyghurs in situations of forced labour being able to report their concerns to the Office of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsmen.

Amanda Milling: The Office of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) is an independent complaints mechanism for people who believe they are affected by International Finance Corporation (IFC) projects. CAO helps resolve issues raised about the environmental and social impacts of Projects and Sub-Projects, and also carries out reviews of IFC compliance with its environmental and social policies, assesses related harm, and recommends remedial actions where needed. Complaints are submitted in writing, may be presented in any language, and can be submitted electronically. CAO will maintain confidentiality upon receiving a complaint if requested to do so by the Complainant. The UK has confidence in the CAO, and has been working with the IFC and other development finance institutions to develop stronger safeguards to reduce the risk of forced labour in supply chains.

Development Aid: Disability

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the effect of the reduction of Official Development Assistance on spending on support for people with disabilities.

Vicky Ford: We treat equalities issues seriously, and have processes in place through Spending Reviews and FCDO business planning to ensure we meet our legal obligations.    As is routine, when developing advice for Ministers on 2021-22 spending, officials prepared an overarching Equalities Assessment which considered any impacts on women and girls, the most marginalised and vulnerable, people with disabilities, and people from other protected groups.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Sustainable Development

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether a senior manager in her Department has been given the portfolio for leading on departmental sustainability.

Vicky Ford: The UK Government is committed to making its estate and operations more sustainable and resilient through the Greening Government Commitments. We report on these commitments every quarter. In The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office this is led by an appointed minister with support from senior officials within the Estates Directorate.

Development Aid: Charities

Joanna Cherry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she plans to take in the next financial year to diversify UK aid partners and give more opportunities to small and medium-sized charities to participate in the delivery of UK aid programmes.

Vicky Ford: The FCDO is currently finalising its spending plans for the next three financial years, including plans for future central funding to civil society. We will take into consideration our support to small and medium-sized charities in the delivery of UK aid. Despite the challenging financial climate as a result of COVID-19, FCDO protected funding this year to the 55 Small Charities Challenge Fund projects which were under implementation. This includes five grants to support the capacity development of small UK charities.

Ukraine: Haemophilia

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the European Haemophilia Consortium and other stakeholders on ensuring that patients with bleeding disorders who are forced to flee the war in Ukraine can access treatment, care and support as quickly as possible.

James Cleverly: The UK has now committed £395 million in aid to the current crisis. This includes £220 million of humanitarian assistance which will be used to save lives and protect vulnerable people inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries. £25 million has been given to the Disasters Emergency Committee, the largest UK aid match ever, which will help aid agencies respond to the deteriorating humanitarian situation by providing access to basic necessities and medical supplies. To date, we have contributed £3.5 million to provide medical supplies to Ukraine. Over 760,000 UK medical items have been delivered across the Polish-Ukraine border. UK Government humanitarian experts have also deployed to the region to support those fleeing the violence.

British Embassy Washington: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the renovation of the British residence in Washington DC has exceeded its contractual completion date; when the renovation of that embassy is expected to be completed; and what steps she is taking to ensure the timely completion of those renovations.

Vicky Ford: The contract for all works was signed in February 2020; the original Residence renovation as part of the main contract was due to be completed in February 2022, and the overall project by April 2022. The current contractual completion date is July 2022. Reasons for the delay have included - but are not limited to - absorbing the direct impact of COVID 19, and its related indirect impact on supply chain, logistics, changing construction market conditions, discovery of unknown asbestos and continued failing infrastructure/pipework. For commercially sensitive reasons we cannot give more information at the present time.The entire project is meant to be concluded in summer 2022. Installing the interior furnishings in the Residence will take some weeks beyond that.We are committed to completing the renovation of the Lutyens Washington Residence, one of the Government's most outstanding and prestigious overseas assets, in a timely manner and to a high-quality. The supply chain problems have eased and additional design resource has been provided to keep up the pace of the project. We are managing the companies involved closely to ensure that pace is maintained and there is an effective response to any new challenges.

Ministry of Justice

Legal Profession: Russia

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation on the matter of law firms representing clients that are linked directly or indirectly to the Russian state with pending legal cases in the English judicial system.

James Cartlidge: My officials are in regular discussions with the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation and other agencies and regulators to ensure the sanctions regime is adhered to in the legal services market. The Solicitors Regulation Authority has also put out guidance reminding solicitors of their professional obligations and legal requirements. Legal sector regulators are coming together rapidly to look at what can be done to further improve the enforcement of the restrictions under the current sanction and anti-money laundering regime. They are already stepping up compliance monitoring and enforcement activity.

Legal Profession: Russia

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of sanctioning law firms working for Russian clients with cases in the English court system.

James Cartlidge: Discussions on sanctions remain ongoing, but it is an important aspect of the rule of law that individuals can access legal advice. Lawyers providing advice to sanctioned individuals are required to obtain a license from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation and operate under strict rules. There are severe penalties for breaches, including fines and potential imprisonment. Many UK law firms are taking a strong stance against the deplorable actions of Russia and those linked to Putin’s regime, including winding down operations in Russia, reviewing client lists and carefully considering new work.

Victims' Commissioner

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reason his Department is advertising for the role of a Victims Commissioner prior to the introduction of the proposed Victims bill to Parliament; and what assessment he has made of the impact of advertising for that role prior to parliamentary scrutiny of the Bill.

Tom Pursglove: The Government recently launched a recruitment process for the Victims’ Commissioner role as the current incumbent, Dame Vera Baird, reaches the end of her appointment on 23 June 2022. This is in line with the standard public appointments process. It comes as the Government delivers landmark reforms for victims, including new legislation to ensure they are better heard, served, and supported across the criminal justice system. Given the importance of this public appointment, which entails significant responsibility and a wide-ranging portfolio, we believe advertising the role and opening it up to fair and open competition at the earliest opportunity will ensure we have the best possible candidate in post. The competition will run until 4 April, with the successful candidate taking up the role in due course. Dame Vera Baird has been invited to reapply and has been offered a short extension until 31 July, to ensure her continued role in informing the development of the landmark Victims’ Bill ahead of its introduction in Parliament.

Prisoners' Release: Females

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to agree and implement a Women’s Prison Release Protocol with co-signatories to the London Blueprint for Women in contact with the Criminal Justice System.

Kit Malthouse: My officials engage regularly with the Mayor’s Office for Crime and Policing, including attending the Blueprint Delivery Group. As set out in the Concordat we encourage the creation of Whole System Approaches that will improve partnership working locally. In the Prisons Strategy White Paper, we committed to developing a resettlement passport, which will bring together the key information and services that an individual needs for successful resettlement into society. The passport will be a practical and personalised tool that organises, plans and records the information and services needed to support prison leavers’ resettlement, alongside providing information to professionals working with them. We recognise the needs of women differ and resettlement passports will help prisons move further towards a more personalised and integrated approach based on the individual needs of the offender. We will engage with stakeholders throughout the development and implementation of the passport to ensure it is effective and fit for purpose.

Courts: ICT

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of courts have begun using the common platform system since its roll out.

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he expects all courts will have begun using the Common Platform system.

James Cartlidge: The Common Platform went live in Derby in September 2020 and since then has been rolled out to 101 courts (32 Crown Courts and 69 Magistrates’ Courts), which equates to 44% of the total number of all criminal courts.  It has managed over 100,000 criminal cases since rollout began.HMCTS is currently discussing the next phase of delivering the system with operational leaders and the senior judiciary.

Judiciary

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many new entrants to the judiciary there have been in each year since 2017.

James Cartlidge: The annual Judicial Diversity statistics includes data on new entrants. New entrants and leavers statistics were first included in the annual diversity statistics as experimental statistics in 2019. It should be noted that for most salaried judicial appointments, previous judicial experience is required and these appointments will therefore not be categorised as new entrants to the judiciary. Magistrates' new appointment statistics were first included in 2020.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/diversity-of-the-judiciary-2021-statistics.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/diversity-of-the-judiciary-2020-statistics.https://www.judiciary.uk/publications/judicial-diversity-statistics-2019-2/.

Jeremy Bamber

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what (a) public interest grounds and (b) risk assessment evidence Jeremy Bamber has remained a category A prisoner for 36 years.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what (a) public interest grounds and (b) risk assessment evidence Jeremy Bamber has been denied transfer to a lower category prison status.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what (a) public interest grounds and (b) risk assessment evidence Jeremy Bamber remains in prison, in the context of his sentence in 1986 to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years.

James Cartlidge: HMPPS has an obligation to protect the public by preventing escape of the most dangerous offenders. All category A prisoners must be held within a high security prison.Offenders are required to undertake work to address their risk reduction; only when this work has been sufficiently completed, and the risk of harm to the public is significantly reduced, can a prisoner have his security category reduced.All category A prisoners are subject to regular reviews of their status.Mr Bamber was convicted of five counts of Murder and sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on the 28 June 1986 with a whole life tariff imposed.

Jeremy Bamber

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what (a) public interest grounds and (b) risk assessment evidence Jeremy Bamber was given a whole life tariff.

James Cartlidge: Jeremy Bamber was given a whole life order in 1986 for the murder of five members of his family. Prior to the introduction of legislative guidelines in 2003, the minimum period to be served in custody by those given a mandatory life sentence for murder was set by the Home Secretary. This included whether a whole life order should be imposed. The Home Secretary’s decision to impose a whole life order on Jeremy Bamber would have reflected the exceptionally high seriousness of his offending and would have taken into account all the relevant circumstances of the case.

Domestic Abuse: McKenzie Friends

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help ensure that domestic abuse victims have access to a McKenzie friend in courts.

Tom Pursglove: The Government is clear that victims of domestic abuse must have access to the help that they need, which is why legal aid is available for domestic abuse victims in private family law proceedings. This is subject to the statutory means and merits test and evidence requirements. Where domestic abuse victims are litigants in person in private family law proceedings, they have the right to have reasonable assistance from a layperson called a McKenzie Friend. This is subject to the litigant having received permission from the court for the McKenzie Friend to do so at the start of a hearing. The judge should give this permission unless the judge is satisfied that fairness and the interests of justice do not so require.

Cemeteries

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is for the re-use of graves across England and Wales.

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of burial space in England and Wales; and whether the Government has plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the re-use of graves, similar to the regulations that apply in London.

Tom Pursglove: As set out in our response on 2 December (UIN 80903), the reuse of burial space is a sensitive issue and we are carefully considering what action could be taken. We have not made a recent assessment of the availability of burial space in England and Wales, but we continue to work closely with stakeholders to build a national picture and welcome any information from burial providers about the circumstances in their area.In addition, the Law Commission, as part of its programme of law reform, will be considering the modernising and streamlining of the law governing the disposal of human remains, with a view to putting forward a legal framework for the future. The Law Commission is working to prioritise this project, with a view to commencing it later this year subject to completion of current work. Further information on the project can be found at: www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/a-modern-framework-for-disposing-of-the-dead.

Ministry of Justice: Training

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has implemented a training programme to provide civil servants with skills to support its transition to net zero.

James Cartlidge: Yes. The new Government Curriculum will include modules on the implications of Net Zero, climate change and wider environmental issues for government. In the first phase, the Government Skills & Curriculum Unit (GSCU) is working with other Departments (including BEIS, DEFRA and FCDO) to create an awareness level training resource for all civil servants. This will be piloted from April 2022. In the next phases, GSCU will look at tailored provision for specific Functions and Professions and will signpost the training and other resources on Net Zero which are already being provided internally at practitioner and expert levels by government Departments. In MoJ, some Net Zero-related training has already been provided to specific professional functions including Commercial and Property teams.

Ministry of Justice: Sustainable Development

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether a senior manager in his Department has been given the portfolio for leading on departmental sustainability.

James Cartlidge: The Government is committed to making its estate and operations more sustainable and resilient, through the Greening Government Commitments. We report on these commitments every quarter. In the Ministry of Justice, this is led by an appointed Minister, myself, with support from the Chief Sustainability Officer, other senior officials and an appointed Non-Executive Director.

Sentencing: Females

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will review sentencing for women including potential alternatives to short-term sentences for non-violent offences.

James Cartlidge: We remain committed to the vision in the Female Offender Strategy, which set out our priorities to achieve better outcomes for female offenders, including fewer women coming into the criminal justice system and fewer women in custody (especially on short-term sentences) and a greater proportion of women managed in the community successfully. Since publication in June 2018, the number of women entering the criminal justice system has fallen by 30%. We are investing millions of pounds over the next 3 years into community services such as women’s centres, drug rehabilitation and accommodation support so fewer women end up in prison. We also have several initiatives underway to improve community sentencing options to tackle low-level offending, divert women from custody, and reduce reoffending. This includes several pilots such as the Residential women’s centre pilot, with the first in Wales, Problem-Solving Courts for women, and a Pre-Sentence Report pilot that is targeting fuller reports for women. Of course, where female offenders are found guilty of committing criminal offences, it is for our independent judiciary to determine the appropriate sentence in the usual way.

Treasury

Economic Situation: Equality

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce economic inequality in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Mr Simon Clarke: Work is the best route out of poverty and that is why the government is investing more than £6 billion in DWP labour market support over the next three years to help people move into, and progress in, work. This builds on the success of the Plan for Jobs, with over 2 million fewer people expected to be unemployed than previously thought. As a result of the Government’s actions, the unemployment rate (3.9%) is now below the pre-pandemic rate (4.0% in the 3 months to February 2020). In addition, youth unemployment is now 3.9 percentage points below the peak of the pandemic and 0.8 percentage points below the pre-pandemic rate. Distributional analysis published at Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 shows that in 2024-25, tax, welfare and spending decisions made since Spending Round 2019 will have benefitted the poorest households most, as a percentage of income.

Revenue and Customs: Travel

Damien Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to reduce HMRC's backlog of travel expense repayments.

Lucy Frazer: HMRC make payments for two types of travel expense payments. Travel and Subsistence claims, which are costs incurred buying food, drink, and parking, are claimed via HMRC’s Online HR system and payments for these expenses are currently up to date. Moves Adjustment Payments are made when employees incur costs when HMRC have asked them to move permanently and work from another location. Reimbursement is provided as there are additional costs because of this move. HR policy has recently changed for these types of expenses which has led to an increase in enquiries and claims. To mitigate the backlog, HMRC has updated their HR Guidance to make it easier for people to understand what they are entitled to. This will avoid questions being raised with HR before a formal claim is made. A new calculator and a Help Card have also been introduced to provide staff with additional support. Increased resource has also been deployed to clear the backlog. Initially all claims were being checked; this reduced to 30 per cent on 8 March and plans are in place for this to drop to 20 per cent once assurance levels are reached.

Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation: Staff

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed by the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation in each month from March 2019 to March 2022.

John Glen: The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, is the competent authority for financial sanctions in the UK. The number of active staff in OFSI since March 2019 can be found in the table below:DatePaid FTE*Mar-1935.55Apr-1934.55May-1934.55Jun-1933.55Jul-1937.55Aug-1937.55Sep-1939.55Oct-1938.15Nov-1937.42Dec-1938.44Jan-2038.22Feb-2037.22Mar-2036.95Apr-2036.95May-2035.95Jun-2035.95Jul-2035.95Aug-2035.95Sep-2036.95Oct-2035.95Nov-2036.95Dec-2036.55Jan-2137.55Feb-2137.55Mar-2138.55Apr-2138.55May-2138.55Jun-2140.55Jul-2139.55Aug-2138.8Sep-2138.15Oct-2137.4Nov-2140.15Dec-2142.15Jan-2242.15*This is the number of staff on payroll. The number of active staff may differ.  The number of staff has since increased and is now increasing again, in light of recent developments in Ukraine. Releasing further details of OFSI’s budget and headcount by function could prejudice its operational effectiveness.

Housing: Prices

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of reviewing the house price limit for Lifetime ISA withdrawal.

John Glen: The Lifetime ISA is intended to support younger people saving for their first home or for later life by offering a generous government bonus of 25% on up to £4,000 of savings each year. These funds, including the government bonus, can be used to purchase a first home up to the value of £450,000. The Government considers that the £450,000 price cap is suitable to support the majority of first-time buyers across the UK, who typically purchase less expensive properties than other buyers, while ensuring sustainable public finances. The most recent Office for Budget Responsibility forecast stated that bonus payments will have an exchequer cost of £3.7 billion between 2021 and 2027. The price cap ensures that this significant investment of public money is more precisely targeted towards households that may find it more difficult to get onto the property ladder. First-time buyers who can purchase a home valued over £450,000 are likely to have an income significantly above that of the average household in the UK and are therefore more likely to be able to purchase a first home without the support of this scheme. However, the Government continues to keep all aspects of savings policy under review.

Business: Money

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to encourage businesses to accept cash payments following the end of covid-19 restrictions.

John Glen: The government recognises that the ability to transact in cash remains important to millions of people across the UK and has committed to legislating to protect access to cash. Last year, the government held an Access to Cash Consultation on proposals for new laws to make sure people only need to travel a reasonable distance to pay in or take out cash. The government’s proposals intend to support the continued use of cash in people’s daily lives and help to enable local businesses to continue accepting cash by ensuring they can access deposit facilities. The FCA has published research on cash acceptance by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which found that the primary motivation for accepting cash is to provide customers with choice. While it remains the individual retailer’s choice as to whether to accept or decline any form of payment, including cash or card, nearly all (98%) of surveyed businesses stated they would never turn away a customer if they needed to pay by cash.

Credit Cards: Surcharges

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of (a) removing credit charge surcharges on businesses selling high-value items and (b) policy on the price of consumer goods and services as businesses raise prices to cover the fees charged to them by credit card companies.

John Glen: Surcharging, the practice of charging a fee for using a certain payment method, is banned in the UK for payments made by consumer credit and debit cards. This ban was introduced through amendments made to the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 by the Payment Services Regulations 2017. It remains the individual merchant or retailer’s choice whether to set a certain ‘minimum spend’ for a certain type of payment instrument, and whether to accept or decline any payment method. Regarding the cost of card payments more generally, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) was established with statutory objectives to ensure that payment systems are operated in a way that considers the interests of all the businesses and consumers that use them, and to promote effective competition between payment systems and services. The PSR continues to assess the effectiveness of the card-acquiring market for merchants and consumers. On 3 November 2021 the PSR published its Card Acquiring Market Review, examining how effectively the provisions of card-acquiring services are working for merchants, and ultimately consumers. The PSR has since released a Consultation on potential remedies to the problems it identifies. In its Review, the PSR recognise card fees as one area of concern, and have confirmed an additional phase of work to investigate the matter further. The PSR states that it will intervene to address any identified issues as necessary.

Credit

Stella Creasy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to publish the Government's response to its consultation on the Regulation of Buy-Now Pay-Later.

John Glen: The Government published a consultation on policy proposals for the regulation of Buy-Now Pay-Later (BNPL) on 21 October 2021, which closed on 6 January 2022. The Government is now reviewing responses to this consultation and considering next steps, and intends to publish a consultation response in the spring.

Sanctions: Russia

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any companies that have been sanctioned by the UK or are owned by people who have been sanctioned by the UK in relation to Russia's invasion of Ukraine received support through the coronavirus job retention scheme; and if he will publish details of these companies.

John Glen: Company details in relation to those that have been sanctioned by the UK that have benefited from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) are not available. However, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published a list of employers that claimed through the CJRS since December 2020, on 16 December 2021, which can be found on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employers-who-have-claimed-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

Cider: Excise Duties

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, If he will make it his policy that a minimum 85 per cent juice threshold is required for a product to be taxed and sold as cider.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to expand the draft duty rate of beer to include containers from 20 litres.

Helen Whately: Following the close of our alcohol duty review consultation on 30 January 2022, the Government is now analysing responses and is continuing to engage with industry on both points. The Government understands that some cidermakers are interested in increasing the minimum juice content. However, others have raised concerns that this would disrupt business as usual for some cidermakers and may incentivise producers to import apples cheaply from overseas. It is therefore important we continue to explore different arguments before making any final decisions. We are also engaging with brewers on the qualifying criteria for draught relief. While it is our intention for the relief to apply to a range of brewers, we must ensure that the relief remains targeted on pubs and other hospitality venues. This is to ensure that drinks benefiting from the relief are those used by venues rather than for personal use by consumers. We are continuing to consult on these proposals and will provide further updates on the alcohol duty review in due course.

Wines: Excise Duties

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to wine duty announced in his Alcohol Duty Review on (a) inflation and (b) the cost of living.

Helen Whately: As announced at Autumn Budget 2021, the Government intends to move to a duty system where all wines are taxed in reference to their alcohol content, as is already the case for beer and spirits. Subsequently, some higher strength still wines will increase in duty, while lighter wines (below 11.5% alcohol by volume – ABV) will become cheaper. For lower strength wines below 8.5% ABV, duty rates will be reduced even further. Further detail about the impact of our alcohol duty reforms will be included in a tax information and impact note when the policy is final, or near final, in the usual way.

Offshore Industry: Taxation

Sarah Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas producers on the cost of living.

Helen Whately: The Government recognises the challenges many are facing with pressures on household budgets. We are providing support worth over £20 billion across this financial year and next that will help families with the cost of living. This includes cutting the Universal Credit taper rate and increasing work allowances to make sure work pays, freezing alcohol and fuel duties to keep costs down, as well as the £9.1 billion package announced in February 2022 to help households with rising energy bills. The Government places additional taxes on the extraction of oil and gas, with companies engaged in the production of oil and gas on the UK Continental Shelf subject to headline tax rates on their profits that are currently more than double those paid by other businesses. To date, the sector has paid more than £375 billion in production taxes. All taxes are kept under review and any changes are considered and announced by the Chancellor.

Motor Vehicles: Costs

Beth Winter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to take steps to mitigate the recent increase in the cost of motoring for people and households on low incomes who rely on their vehicle for work.

Helen Whately: In recognition of high prices at the pump and the fact that fuel represents a major cost for households and businesses, the Chancellor announced at the Autumn Budget 2021 that fuel duty would remain frozen for a twelfth consecutive year. This benefits consumers across the UK, including low-income households who rely on their vehicles for work, and represents savings worth almost £8 billion over the next five years. All taxes, including fuel duty, remain under review.

Capital Investment: Climate Change

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy for all Public Sector Net Investment (PSNI) decisions to be subject to a test to determine whether they advance the UK’s ability to meet its commitments set out in the Glasgow Climate Pact; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Whately: The Glasgow Climate Pact, agreed under the UK’s COP Presidency, aims to keep 1.5 degrees within reach. The UK is fully committed to playing our part to achieve that that goal – both through domestic action and international coordination. Over the past few years, the Government has gone further than ever before to ensure the climate is at the heart of our decision-making, and we will continue to strengthen the application of our existing processes. The Green Book mandates the consideration of net zero impacts in spending (including resource and capital spending). The Net Zero Strategy sets out the actions to keep us on track for UK carbon budgets, our 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution, and net zero by 2050. The spending brought forward in the Net Zero Strategy, and confirmed by the Budget and Spending Review 2021, mean that the Government will have committed a total of £30 billion of domestic investment for the green industrial revolution since March 2021. The Office for Budget Responsibility stated this to be broadly in line with the public investment required to keep on track for net zero by 2050.

Hospitality Industry: National Insurance Contributions

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what modelling his Department has undertaken on the impact of the rise in National Insurance Contributions and the removal of remaining covid-19 Government support schemes on businesses in the hospitality sector.

Helen Whately: Throughout the pandemic, the Government has worked closely with leaders in the hospitality sector and others to monitor the financial health of the most impacted sectors. This analysis has influenced decisions to provide a comprehensive £400 billion package of support, which provided a lifeline for many restaurants, pubs, and bars. The Government continues to evaluate the impact of these policies and engage with the sector. Due to Government action and the resilience of business leaders across the industry, there are positive signs that the sector is recovering. Employment in the sector has reached pre-pandemic levels and vacancies are at record levels, which demonstrates that hospitality is back to usual form and creating jobs again. On 21 February, the Prime Minister announced the government’s plans to live with the virus, paving the way for customers to return to offices and hospitality venues with confidence. As we move into the next phase, Government remains committed to supporting the sector to return to growth, including with a new temporary business rates relief for the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors worth almost £1.7 billion in 2022-23

Beer: Small Businesses

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Small Brewers Relief Scheme, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of increased tax bills on breweries producing 2,500HL and 5,000HL per year.

Helen Whately: The Government has announced a number of changes to the way that small brewers receive relief from alcohol duty, in order to remove barriers to growth and reduce market distortions. As part of this, the Government has announced a new Small Producer Relief which will incorporate changes to the existing Small Brewers Relief, as set out in its response to a technical consultation on 30 November 2021. The Government will make a range of adjustments to the existing scheme, including lowering the rate of increase in marginal costs as brewers expand and grow. This will remove the ‘cliff-edge’ which small brewers have highlighted as a concern for many years. Overall, this will invest a further £15 million to the existing £65 million spent each year on craft brewing via the Small Brewers Relief scheme.

Treasury: Training

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has implemented a training programme to provide civil servants with skills to support its transition to net zero.

Helen Whately: Yes. The new Government Curriculum will include modules on the implications of Net Zero, climate change and wider environmental issues for government. In the first phase, the Government Skills & Curriculum Unit (GSCU) is working with other Departments (including HMT, BEIS, DEFRA and FCDO) to create an awareness level training resource for all civil servants. This will be piloted from April 2022. In the next phases, GSCU will look at tailored provision for specific Functions and Professions, and will signpost the training and other resources on Net Zero which are already being provided internally at practitioner and expert levels by government Departments.

Car Allowances

Steve McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing Mileage Allowance Payments for business travel from 45 pence in the context of the rise in the cost of petrol and diesel.

Helen Whately: The Government sets the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) rates to minimise administrative burdens. Organisations are not required to use the AMAPs rates. Instead, they can agree to reimburse the actual cost incurred, where individuals can provide evidence of the expenditure, without an Income Tax or National Insurance charge arising. Alternatively, they can choose to pay a different mileage rate that better reflects their employees’ circumstances. However, if the payment exceeds the amount due under AMAPs, and this results in a profit for the individual, they will be liable to pay Income Tax and National Insurance contributions on the difference. The Government keeps this policy under review.

Diesel Fuel and Petrol: VAT

Lee Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reducing VAT on (a) petrol and (b) diesel.

Helen Whately: VAT has been designed as a broad-based tax on consumption and the twenty per cent standard rate applies to the vast majority of goods and services, including petrol and diesel. While there are exceptions to the standard rate, these have always been strictly limited by both legal and fiscal considerations. All taxes are kept under reivew, but there are no plans to cut VAT on petrol and diesel. Cutting VAT on road fuel from 20% to 5% would come at a significant cost to the Exchequer and such a relief would not be targeted as it would also benefit high income households that do not need support.

Treasury: Sustainable Development

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether a senior manager in his Department has been given the portfolio for leading on departmental sustainability.

Helen Whately: The Government is committed to making its estate and operations more sustainable and resilient, through the Greening Government Commitments. We report on these commitments every quarter. In HM Treasury, this is led by an appointed minister with support from the Director of Operations and other senior officials.

Energy: Corporation Tax

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential revenues available to the Exchequer through increasing corporation tax for North Sea oil and gas companies and energy transmission and distribution companies.

Helen Whately: The Government does not typically provide assessments of changes to ring fence corporation tax, or corporation tax by sector, and does not propose doing so in this case. The Government places additional taxes on the extraction of oil and gas, with companies engaged in the production of oil and gas on the UK Continental Shelf subject to headline tax rates on their profits that are currently more than double those paid by other businesses. To date, the sector has paid more than £375 billion in production taxes. All taxes are kept under review and any changes are considered and announced by the Chancellor.

Energy: Taxation

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of potential revenues available to the Exchequer through an increase in dividend taxation for North Sea oil and gas companies and energy transmission and distribution companies.

Helen Whately: The Government does not typically provide assessments of changes to dividend tax by sector and does not propose doing so in this case. The Government already places additional taxes on the extraction of oil and gas, with companies engaged in the production of oil and gas on the UK Continental Shelf subject to headline tax rates on their profits that are currently more than double those paid by other businesses. To date, the sector has paid more than £375 billion in production taxes. The Government keeps all taxes under review and any changes are considered and announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Cost of Living: Coventry

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps his Department plans to take to help reduce the impact on households in (a) Coventry North East constituency and (b) Coventry of the rise in the cost of living.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Government recognises the challenge that many are facing with the cost of living and is monitoring the situation closely. It is providing support worth over £20 billion across this financial year and next that will help families with the cost of living. This includes cutting the Universal Credit taper rate and increasing work allowances to make sure work pays, freezing alcohol and fuel duties to keep costs down, and the £9.1 billion package announced in February 2022 to help households with rising energy bills. The Government’s Plan for Jobs is also helping people into work and giving them the skills they need to progress – the best approach to managing the cost of living in the long term. We are building on the success of the Plan for Jobs, investing more than £6 billion on labour market support over three years. In addition to this, we are increasing the National Living Wage (NLW) by 6.6% to £9.50 in April 2022 for those aged 23 and over, which will mean a full-time worker on the NLW will see an increase in their earnings of over £1,000 a year

Public Sector: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to increase pay in real terms for public sector workers.

Mr Simon Clarke: The Government recognises that public sector workers play a vital role in the running of our economy, and in delivering our world class public services. Spending Review 2021 confirmed that public sector workers will see pay rises across the whole Spending Review period (22/23-24/25). Pay for most frontline workforces - including nurses, teachers and armed forces - is set through an independent Pay Review Body process. Pay Review Bodies will consider a range of evidence when forming their recommendations, including the need to recruit and retain suitably able and qualified people; the financial circumstances of the country; the Government’s policies for improving public services; and the Government’s inflation target. They will consider the whole remuneration package of those working in the public sector when forming their recommendations, including substantially more generous pensions than are found in the private sector. The Government will carefully consider all recommendations from the Pay Review Bodies once their final reports are submitted.

Church Commissioners

Church of England: Finance

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what alternative approaches to savings were considered at the same time as large parish structures and why were these alternatives rejected.

Andrew Selous: Local strategies are for individual dioceses to work out, not the Church Commissioners.These large parish structures are not primarily about achieving financial savings, but ensuring that there is effective ministry and service to the community, given the financial and other constraints that the Church faces. Where funding has been awarded by the Church Commissioners, there has been a requirement to consider the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches and these have been scrutinised by funding award panels.

Church of England: Finance

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what estimate he has made of the potential net financial saving of areas that plan to implement large parish structures.

Andrew Selous: Local strategies are for individual dioceses to work out, not the Church Commissioners.These large parish structures are not primarily about achieving financial savings, but ensuring that there is effective ministry and service to the community, given the financial and other constraints that the Church faces.The dioceses of the Church of England are not-for-profit organisations, and so all funds are reinvested in the work of the Church, and the proposed changes are about how to use these funds in the best possible way to serve the whole of England.

Church of England: Finance

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the announcements of the cities of Leicester, Lincoln and Liverpool on plans to implement large parish structures in February 2022, what arrangements will be put in place to compensate for the loss in local pastoral care.

Andrew Selous: Local strategies are for individual dioceses to work out, not the Church Commissioners.In each of these cases, the change in structures are to enable effective ministry, including pastoral care, to be present in communities given the challenges in the overall numbers of clergy and the financial challenge facing the Church, especially post-Covid. In each of the cases there is an anticipation of better pastoral care than under the status quo.

Church of England: Finance

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, with reference to the Church of England’s report, entitled From Anecdote to Evidence, what planning assumptions have been made in dioceses where large parish structures are being implemented in relation to the consequent fall in congregation numbers and drop in giving.

Andrew Selous: In the area of parish structures, the From Anecdote to Evidence report has been superseded by more recent research reports called Growing Deeper and Stronger as One. Both reports can be viewed at: Findings and reports | The Church of EnglandThis research has shown that there is no statistically significant relationship between the number of churches within a benefice (the benefice structure) and numerical growth or decline, once clergy numbers, geography, population change and initial church size are taken into account.The specific planning assumptions are for individual dioceses and not the Church Commissioners.

Ministry of Defence

Ajax Vehicles

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the personnel who have occupied positions within the Programme Management Office of the AJAX Programme since 2016.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the senior responsible owners of the Ajax armoured vehicle programme since its inception.

Jeremy Quin: Details of the personnel occupying positions within the Programme Management Office for the Ajax Programme are not released as they are individuals holding appointments below 1*. Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) details can be found below. Since the Main Gate Business Case baseline approval in 2014 there have been four Senior Responsible Owners for the Armoured Cavalry 25 (AC25) programme. Prior to this, from 2010 (when Main Gate Business Case 1 was signed) to 2013, there were a further two SROs. This was when Ajax was part of firstly the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) programme and then the wider MountedClose Combat (MCC) portfolio. October 2021 - CurrentDr David Marsh (SRO AC25)April 2019 – October 2021Major General Simon Hamilton (SRO AC25)November 2015 – April 2019Major General Mark Gaunt (SRO AC25)October 2013 – November 2015Major General Nick Pope (SRO MCC and then SRO AC25)November 2011 - October 2013Maj Gen Bruce Brealey (SRO MCC)November 2008 – November 2011Brig Mike Riddell-Webster (SRO FRES then SRO MCC)

Ajax Vehicles

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish a breakdown of the roles within the AJAX Programme Management Office within the Army.

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what qualifications are required for personnel to sit on the Ajax Programme Management Office.

Jeremy Quin: The structure of the Ajax Programme Management Office follows the Project Delivery Framework for Project Delivery Professionals in Government set out at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/755783/PDCF.pdf. The Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) holds the Chartered Project Professional qualification (ChPP) and is a graduate of the Major Projects Leadership Academy. The team consists of both Military and civilian staff. Individuals are recruited on the basis of their experience as well as formal qualifications. The SRO is taking steps to ensure that the team is appropriately structured and resourced to deliver the programme.   A breakdown of the roles within the Ajax Programme Management Office can be found in the table below: Role Senior Responsible OwnerSRO Chief of StaffSRO Personal AssistantProgramme DirectorApprovals and Assurance HeadProgramme Delivery ManagerProgramme Controls ManagerRAIDO LeadPlanning and Schedule LeadSchedule SupportStakeholder and Communications LeadInformation and Reporting LeadSustain and SupportFielding ManagerTraining and DoctrineLethality

Ajax Vehicles

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether a formal contract has been awarded by his Department to (a) identify the root causes of the issues with the AJAX programme and (c) find a technical solution to those issues.

Jeremy Quin: The noise and vibration issues on Ajax are being addressed by the Ministry of Defence within the firm price contract with General Dynamics UK for the delivery of the Ajax vehicles.

Warships: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to use the security exemption offered under World Trade Organisation rules to exclude foreign companies from bids to construct and supply warships in the UK.

Jeremy Quin: As warships are expressly excluded from the UK's list of covered goods in the World Trade Organisation Government Procurement Agreement, the national security exemption in Article III of that Agreement is not engaged. In relation to the supply of warships, the applicability of the national security exemptions in the Public Contracts Regulations and the Defence and Security Public Contracts Regulations will be assessed on a case by case basis. This is in line with the Ministry of Defence shipbuilding policy set out in the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment: Older People

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason (a) people over the state pension age who wish to claim Personal Independence Payments (PIP) rather than Attendance Allowance (AA) are not entitled to do so and (b) AA does not include a mobility component as PIP does; and if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing people over the state pension age to claim PIP.

Chloe Smith: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Personal Independence Payment: British Nationals Abroad

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance was provided by her Department to personal independence payment recipients who were at risk of losing their entitlement but unable to return to the UK during the periods of national lockdown in 2020 and 2021.

Chloe Smith: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Personal Independence Payment: British Nationals Abroad

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Personal Independence Payment recipients had their entitlement withdrawn as a result of being stranded in another country during periods of lockdown in the UK in 2020 and 2021.

Chloe Smith: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Chemicals: Export Controls

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if the Health and Safety Executive will publish a report on Prior Informed Consent activity for (a) 2020 and (b) 2021.

Chloe Smith: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Security Benefits: Uprating

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase the value in real terms of social security income.

David Rutley: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Security Benefits: Uprating

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of uprating benefits in line with inflation at the Spring 2022 Budget.

David Rutley: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Personal Independence Payment

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are awaiting a review of their Personal Independence Payment (PIP) award after registration; and what the average time taken to review a PIP award is in the most recent period for which data is available.

Chloe Smith: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Personal Independence Payment: Medical Examinations

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of Personal Independence Payment assessments have been carried out by (a) telephone, (b) paper based or (c) face-to-face assessments between (i) November 2021 and January 2022, (ii) August and October 2021, (iii) May and July 2021, (iv) February and April 2021 and (v) February 2020 and January 2021.

Chloe Smith: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Kickstart Scheme

Cherilyn Mackrory: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Kickstart Scheme placements have been (a) approved, (b) advertised and (c) started by young people by (i) nation, (ii) region and (iii) sector as of 15 March 2022.

Mims Davies: As of the 15th March 2022, over 152,000 Kickstart jobs have been started by young people. The last date a young person can start a Kickstart job is 31st March 2022. We have previously published the number of jobs approved and advertised as of 31st January, here. At that point, over 235,000 jobs had been advertised and over 305,000 had been approved. Kickstart has now closed to employer applications and as of March, all approved jobs proceeding to the advertisement stage, have been advertised. As such, these totals will not increase but may decline as a result of vacancies being withdrawn or removed by the employer.Below are tables listing the number of Kickstart jobs which have been made available and started by young people to date by geographical area of Great Britain and work sector. The figures used are correct as of the 15th March 2022 and these figures have been rounded according to departmental standards.Jobs made available (advertised) and job starts quoted here include some unfunded Kickstart jobs. Also included in the Great Britain total are a small number of jobs made available (less than 100 in total) that have an unrecorded job location.The number of approved jobs is defined as the number of jobs associated with approved applications recorded on the Kickstart application system on the date above. This total excludes approved jobs that have been withdrawn from the Kickstart Scheme by agreement with employers and gateways. This is generally because, over time, some previously approved jobs were removed where the employer chose not to follow up the application.Although care is taken when processing and analysing Kickstart applications, referrals and starts, the data collected might be subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, which has been developed quickly.The management information presented here has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics but is provided in the interests of transparency. Work is ongoing to improve the quality of information available for the programme.Table 1: Number of Kickstart total available jobs and job starts, Great Britain, by nation and region (figures rounded to nearest 1000*) Total jobs made availableTotal jobs startedRegion / Nation Split(DATA RETAINED FROM 31/01/22)(DATA EFFECTIVE 15/03/22)   Total, Great Britain235,000152,000   England204,000132,000East Midlands14,00010,000East of England18,00011,000London51,00033,000North East11,0007,000North West30,00019,000South East26,00016,000South West14,0009,000West Midlands21,00014,000Yorkshire and The Humber19,00012,000Scotland19,00013,000Wales12,0007,000 Table 2: Number of Kickstart total available jobs and job starts, Great Britain, by Sector (figures rounded to the nearest 10*)Sector SplitTotal jobs made availableTotal jobs started (DATA RETAINED FROM 31/01/22)(DATA EFFECTIVE 15/03/22)Administration57,35037,500Animal Care1,6101,200Beauty & Wellbeing1,7201,300Business & Finance8,5005,600Computing Technology & Digital15,84011,800Construction & Trades7,2304,900Creative & Media20,99015,600Delivery & Storage6,3804,200Emergency & Uniform Services520300Engineering & Maintenance7,0804,600Environment & Land4,6203,200Government Services1,000600Healthcare6,1403,100Home Services1,560800Hospitality & Food26,38013,200Law & Legal650500Managerial960600Manufacturing6,4304,200Retail & Sales34,97024,900Science & Research990800Social Care4,7402,400Sports & Leisure5,9203,800Teaching & Education11,0006,300Transport900400Travel & Tourism1,110500 * Due to rounding, sum of figures may not match declared total

Employment

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of proposals from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation for a cross-departmental forum in collaboration with business and industry to consider long-term workforce planning.

Mims Davies: Government departments already work closely together, and with employers, on our approach to skills and the labour market.DWP regularly meets with departments responsible for key sectors to identify and promote opportunities within high demand and growing sectors. By identifying barriers and skills needs, DWP can ensure that provision is available to support people to move into and progress in jobs in local growing sectors.Government departments also work closely with employers to ensure that the skills offer encompasses the needs of employers by putting them at the heart of the skills system and ensuring that education and training meets their needs. By 2030, almost all technical courses will be on employer-led standards, ensuring that the education and training people receive, is directly linked to the skills needed for jobs.

Department for Work and Pensions: Land

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish details of any land owned by his Department in Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) does not own any land in the Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency, any DWP occupations in this area is by way of an agreed Lease.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the enquiry of 18 January 2022 from the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney with the reference number MC2022/03672.

Guy Opperman: A reply was sent to the hon. Member by the Minister for Welfare Delivery, on behalf of the Secretary of State, on 17 March 2022.

Department for Work and Pensions: Training

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has implemented a training programme to provide civil servants with skills to support its transition to net zero.

Guy Opperman: Yes. The new Government Curriculum will include modules on the implications of Net Zero, climate change and wider environmental issues for government. In the first phase, the Government Skills & Curriculum Unit (GSCU) is working with other Departments (including BEIS, DEFRA and FCDO) to create an awareness level training resource for all civil servants. This will be piloted from April 2022. In the next phases, GSCU will look at tailored provision for specific Functions and Professions, and will signpost the training and other resources on Net Zero which are already being provided internally at practitioner and expert levels by government Departments.

Child Maintenance Service: Complaints

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many independent case examiners there are to assess complaints in respect of the Child Maintenance Service.

Guy Opperman: There is one Independent Case Examiner (ICE), appointed under contract to adjudicate on the merits of complaints where the complainant remains dissatisfied, having exhausted the Department’s complaints process and those of its provider partners. The ICE is supported by the ICE Office, an independent unit which is recruiting up to its headcount of 112 FTE.

Social Security Benefits: Take-up

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) encourage the take-up of social security benefits by people who are entitled to them.

Guy Opperman: The Department works hard to ensure that people are in receipt of their full entitlement, communicating with the public about benefits through paid advertising, stakeholder and employer engagement and no cost campaigns to help people understand their entitlement and the support we can provide as a safety net and in times of need. We have made additional use of digital media such as YouTube videos, particularly British Sign Language videos to widely promote DWP benefits. DWP staff in Jobcentres provide support and advice about entitlement to benefits and will signpost citizens to appropriate information to help them. The Department provides telephone service lines that citizens can call to make their claims to benefit and to operate their claims as well as a visiting service which can help vulnerable customers with their claims. Jobcentres have internet terminals for use by the public, and staff will signpost citizens to other community resources (libraries and Citizens Advice) which can also provide advice and internet access points.The Government’s website, GOV.UK provides guidance on individual’s rights and entitlements to benefits in the UK. In particular, the website provides links to independent benefits calculators that can be used to find out what benefits an individual could get, how to claim and how these benefits will be affected if an individual starts work. https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators The independent benefits calculators we endorse are intended to provide useful estimations of what people could be entitled to in certain circumstances, based on the information that is entered on the calculators themselves.

Department for Work and Pensions: Sustainable Development

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether a senior manager in her Department has been given the portfolio for leading on departmental sustainability.

Guy Opperman: Responsibility for sustainability sits with the Director General, People, Capability and Place.

Social Security Benefits: Overpayments

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is the policy of her Department not to provide claimants with the reasons for an overpayment occurring in instances when the Risk Review Team has been responsible for reviewing the claimants' benefits.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Risk Review Team provides a full explanation detailing the reasons behind a decision when a decision is made that a claimant isn't entitled to benefits and an overpayment is issued.

David Rutley: For every overpayment decision made the customer will receive details of the reason for the overpayment.

Universal Credit: Mental Illness

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she will take to ensure that people with mental health conditions do not lose their benefit entitlement during managed migration from legacy benefits to universal credit.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to make reasonable adjustments for people being required to apply for universal credit during managed migration, including for people who cannot access an online universal credit journal or people who need more frequent payments.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that people subject to managed migration do not have their existing benefit stopped until they have established a universal credit claim.

David Rutley: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8th February to question number 120621.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a 12 month eligibility definition for fast-track access to Personal Independence Payments, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance.

Chloe Smith: The Department is committed to improving the way the benefits system supports people nearing the end of their life and announced its intention to make changes in this area, in July 2021. The Department has made changes to Universal Credit and Employment Support Allowance regulations to replace the current 6-month rule for determining who can claim under the Special Rules with a 12-month, end of life approach. These will come into force on 4th April. Similar changes will also be made to Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance as soon as possible, when Parliamentary time allows.

Citizens Advice: Finance

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to increase support to Citizens Advice charities to help meet increased demand following the easing of covid-19 restrictions.

David Rutley: I refer the Rt. Hon member to the answer I gave to 138185.

Social Security Benefits: Uprating

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to increase benefits rates in line with inflation from April 2022.

David Rutley: The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefits and pensions based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), which measures inflation in the year to September.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Slaughterhouses

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help increase the number of butchers.

Victoria Prentis: Defra continues to work closely with industry and other Government departments to understand labour supply and demand, and to ensure there is a long-term strategy for the food and farming workforce. Since January 2021, the Skilled Worker visa route has been open to all nationals who wish to come to the UK for the purpose of working in a skilled role – including those in butchery. In 2022 and beyond, food and farming businesses will continue to be able to rely on EU nationals living in the UK with settled or pre-settled status. Over 5.6 million EU citizens and their families have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme. EU nationals who have settled status can continue to travel to the UK for work in 2022 and beyond. The Government also encourages the meat processing sector to pursue improvements to training offers, career options and wages to ensure that the sector draws on the large domestic labour pool in the UK, as well as investing in new technology across the industry. Defra are aware of the specific challenges faced by the pig industry with regards to a shortage of skilled butchers. In recognition of the unique circumstances facing the sector, the Government announced in November 2021 that temporary visas would be available for pork butchers to work in the UK for up to six months. These visas were an exceptional and temporary concession in addition to the existing Skilled Worker route. While applications for these visas are now closed, pork butchers can remain in the UK six months from the date their visa was granted. In February, the Home Office announced a series of visa concessions for temporary workers of Ukrainian nationality. Butchers under the Skilled Worker route and Seasonal Worker Visa Route can remain in the UK until 31 December 2022, and temporary workers may apply for a skilled route visa while in the UK.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of (a) the proportion of culled badgers that are culled by free shooting, (b) the impact of free shooting on the spread of Bovine TB, and (c) the animal welfare implications of free shooting.

Jo Churchill: The number of badgers culled, and the proportion of those removed by free shooting, compared to those that are cage trapped and dispatched are published annually on gov.uk and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bovine-tb-controlling-the-risk-of-bovine-tb-from-badgers#monitoring-and-evaluation.   The UK Chief Veterinary Officer and Natural England’s Chief Scientist have concluded that all existing cull areas have delivered the level of effectiveness, according to coverage and effort, required to be confident of achieving disease control benefits.Based on the monitoring activity provided by Natural England, the Chief Veterinary Officer's view is that the likelihood of suffering in badgers culled by licensed controlled shooting is broadly within the range of those reported for hunting or killing of other terrestrial mammals.

Nutrition

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the uptake of a balanced diet including whole grains throughout the country.

Victoria Prentis: We want to create a food system that is healthier, more sustainable, more resilient, and more accessible for those across the UK. Defra continues to work with stakeholders across the food system to explore increasing consumption of healthier and more sustainable foods, including fibre and wholegrains. We have discussed a range of options to help increase consumption of fibre, fruit and vegetables (including the role of public private partnerships) and will continue to engage with industry and experts in the weeks and months ahead.

Trade: Biodiversity

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Government's response of 26 January 2022 to the Environmental Audit Committee's Second Report, what recent steps have been taken to develop the proposed net gain assessments on trade.

Victoria Prentis: Impact assessments for new Free Trade Agreements include both quantitative and qualitative assessments of the impacts on several aspects of the environment, including emissions, air and water quality, and biodiversity. The Government is working to improve the coverage and approach to assessing environmental impact assessments and in the early stages of exploring the feasibility of assessing net gain in trade.

Fertilisers: Russia

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support British (a) farmers and (b) businesses that may be effected by shortages of fertiliser caused by sanctions on Russia.

Victoria Prentis: The UK sources fertiliser from a wide range of countries and also produces fertiliser such as ammonium nitrate domestically. Russia and Belarus account for only c. 10% of our direct fertiliser imports by value. However, global fertiliser prices have been driven higher since the start of the conflict in Ukraine as Russia is a major exporter of fertilisers and natural gas used in the production of fertilisers.The situation and impacts on farmers in particular, and industry more widely, of current high fertiliser prices and the global fertiliser market, are being monitored closely. We understand from industry intelligence that the vast majority of fertiliser needs for this planting season have been met.Defra is in regular contact with key industry figures including the National Farmers Union (NFU), fertiliser producers and importers, and the key sector representative body for fertilisers, the Agricultural Industries Confederation. We are continuing to monitor the security and stability of fertiliser and other supply chains, and working closely with colleagues across government and devolved administrations as well as industry figures to share knowledge and discuss all options available to tackle these issues. This will help inform how Defra and other industry bodies can best support farmers.There are nutrient management techniques and technologies that can be used alongside fertiliser products that help the efficacy of fertilisers and help maintain high yield and good quality produce. Support in the form of guidance from fertiliser suppliers and agricultural organisations such as NFU can be found from various public sources. Defra is aware that the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has published many helpful public pieces of guidance, advice and webinar recordings on mitigating high fertiliser prices.Defra is committed to promoting better nutrient use efficiency. The current shortage of inorganic fertilisers provides an opportunity for farmers to continue exploring increasing their use of environmentally sustainable products and more efficient nutrient management methods.

Food Supply: Ukraine

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on food supply to the UK of the invasion of Ukraine.

Victoria Prentis: The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, which has coped well in responding to unprecedented challenges. Direct food imports from Eastern Europe are low, and we do not expect any significant direct impact on UK food supply as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Nevertheless, Defra is engaging with industry via various forums to understand the impacts of the conflict on individual industries and supply chains in Defra’s sectors. Defra is well-versed in responding to disruption if the dependencies were to lead to food supply disruption. Defra maintains a collaborative relationship with industry which allows us to effectively respond to disruption. This was successfully demonstrated in response to unprecedented disruption to both supply and demand throughout the COVID-19 response.

Food Resilience Industry Forum

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will reconvene the Food Resilience Industry Forum to discuss the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the food supply chain.

Victoria Prentis: The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, which has coped well in responding to unprecedented challenges. Defra does not expect significant direct impacts to UK food supply as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Nevertheless, Defra is engaging with industry via various forums to understand the impacts of the conflict on individual industries and supply chains in Defra’s sectors. Defra is well-versed in responding to disruption if the dependencies were to lead to food supply disruption. Defra maintains a collaborative relationship with industry which allows us to effectively respond to disruption. This was successfully demonstrated in response to unprecedented disruption to both supply and demand throughout the Covid-19 response. A Food Resilience Industry Forum can be stood-up at short notice should the need arise.

Animal Feed

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to assist UK farmers to source animal feed with respect to disruption caused to supply chains by the Russian attack on Ukraine.

Victoria Prentis: We are very much aware of concerns about the impacts the Russian invasion of Ukraine will have on supply chains. However, the UK food chain is very robust and adaptable. We take our food supply and security very seriously and are working closely with the industry to monitor this.We currently source only relatively small amount of feed ingredients from either Ukraine or Russia. Our assessment is that there is low risk of an actual physical shortage of animal feed in the UK due to the amount of cereal produced domestically and the ability to import from alternative sources. The principal impact on UK farmers will be an increase in the price of animal feed as well as fertiliser and fuel.

Ammonia: Air Pollution

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on tonnage of primary emissions of ammonia in the UK in (a) 2020 and (b) 2021 of the interim agreement reached with CF Industries or its subsidiaries in September 2021 to restart one or more of its ammonia plants in the UK.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on tonnage of primary emissions of ammonia in the UK in 2022 of the agreements reached in October 2021 and January 2022 between CF Industries or its subsidiaries and major CO2 users.

Jo Churchill: No such assessment has been made. Industrial installations in England must comply with strict emission limits, and cannot operate unless issued with an environmental permit. The Environment Agency performs regular inspections and audits to ensure installations are complying with the requirements of the permit.

Pet Travel Scheme: Ukraine

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will issue pet passports for Ukrainian refugees who arrive in the UK via the Ukraine Family Scheme visa with pets.

Victoria Prentis: We recognise the difficult and distressing situation that people fleeing Ukraine currently face, and the UK Government is working at pace to support them.People fleeing Ukraine can bring their pets to the UK. We are working with vets and quarantine facilities to make sure that the arrival of Ukrainians in the UK is not delayed by the process to make arrangements for their pets. Pets include cats, dogs and ferrets as well as other domesticated animals that are commonly viewed as pets but not legally part of the pet travel scheme.Before arrival, people leaving the Ukraine or their carrier should contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) at pettravel@apha.gov.uk or call +44 3000 200 301 option 2. APHA will be able to confirm approval for an emergency licence and organise any necessary stay in quarantine which is required to complete the rabies risk management process. Any quarantine costs will be met by the Government.The maximum stay in quarantine for a pet which has received no rabies vaccination is four months. Pets will be considered on a case by case basis, with a shortened quarantine period for those that are vaccinated. We are working with vets and quarantine facilities to make sure that the arrival in the UK of people fleeing Ukraine is not delayed by the process to make arrangements for their pets.We advise those who are travelling to the UK from Ukraine with pets to contact APHA Centre for International Trade at the earliest opportunity to discuss their options.There is a limited number of quarantine facilities in the UK and we will prioritise those fleeing Ukraine who wish to bring their pets with them, rather than animals being brought over on a commercial basis, including rescue imports. Commercial imports, including rescue imports must follow the usual process.

Birds of Prey: Satellites

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the data published by Natural England on 15 December 2021 on the number of satellite tags on hen harriers that have stopped transmitting since November 2021.

Rebecca Pow: For many years Natural England (NE) has been involved with monitoring, tagging and satellite tracking hen harriers. When a bird goes missing, it may be due to natural causes, an issue with the device, or there is a possibility that it could have been illegally killed. In the first instance, NE staff communicate with the police and will attempt to retrieve the bird to establish the cause of death. If there is evidence of illegal killing, police will investigate, assisted by NE.As of the end of the last breeding season, NE was tracking 29 hen harriers: 17 newly-fledged juveniles and 12 adults. Of the 17 juveniles hatched and tagged in 2021, in 10 cases the tags have ceased transmitting, with the birds believed to have died. Of those, three have been found, of which two appear to have died due to natural causes, and one is pending further investigation. The other seven were not found, with no police investigations due to the absence of any information about cause of death. Of the 12 adults being tracked, one tag has ceased transmitting, with the bird believed to have died, and has not been found. NE is therefore still tracking seven juveniles and 11 adults. Natural mortality of juvenile hen harriers is much higher than adults, and it would not be surprising for at least 50 per cent to die naturally in their first year, even in the absence of persecution. There is currently an ongoing police investigation into t he death of an adult bird that went missing last year before the end of the breeding season.The Government takes wildlife crime seriously, with most wildlife crimes carrying an unlimited fine and/or a six-month custodial sentence. To address concerns about the illegal killing of birds of prey, senior Government and enforcement officers have identified raptor persecution as a national wildlife crime priority. NE and Defra continue to be fully involved with the police-led Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group and NE continues to work closely with Wildlife Crime Officers. Additionally, since 2016, Defra and the Home Office have contributed approximately £300,000 annually to the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which monitors and gathers intelligence on wildlife crime, including raptor persecution, and aids police forces in their investigations when required.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Sustainable Development

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a senior manager in his Department has been given the portfolio for leading on departmental sustainability.

Rebecca Pow: The Government is committed to making its estate and operations more sustainable and resilient, through the Greening Government Commitments. We report on these commitments every quarter. In Defra, this is led by an appointed minister with support from senior officials.

Food Supply

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the acres of grassland and arable land that will be required to sustainably feed the projected population of the UK over the next (a) 10, (b) 25 and (c) 50 years.

Victoria Prentis: The UK's high degree of food security is built on supply from diverse sources, including strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 60% of all the food we need, and 74% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years. In addition, the UK has nearly 100% sufficiency in poultry, carrots, and swedes.Recognising the importance of food production, the Government made a commitment to produce an assessment of our food security at least once every three years. The first UK Food Security Report was published in December 2021. It recognised the contribution made by British farmers to our resilience, and the importance of strong domestic production to our food security. This report will serve as an evidence base for future policy work.The Food Strategy White Paper will set out Government's ambition and priorities for the food system - to support our exceptional British food and drink producers, and to protect and enhance the nation's health and the natural environment for generations to come. The Government will consider the evidence of Henry Dimbleby's independent review throughout the development of Food Strategy. Given ongoing wider circumstances we are postponing publication of the food strategy until after the pre-election period for the local elections.

Food Supply

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the shortage of self-adhesive labels on the food supply chain.

Victoria Prentis: The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, which has coped well in responding to unprecedented challenges. Defra is well-versed in responding to disruption if the dependencies captured were to lead to food supply disruption.Defra is aware of the ongoing industrial action by workers at the UPM paper mills in Finland and is engaging with industry to understand the impacts.Defra maintains a collaborative relationship with industry which allows us to effectively respond to disruption. This was successfully demonstrated in response to unprecedented disruption to both supply and demand throughout the COVID-19 response.

Pets: Import Controls

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing visual checks at (a) ports and (b) the Eurotunnel to ensure that a pet animal is (i) the same as the animal listed on the pet passport, (ii) not heavily pregnant and (iii) not suffering from poor welfare conditions; what recent steps his Department has taken to help tackle the smuggling of puppies; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Prentis: We operate one of the most rigorous and robust pet travel checking regimes in Europe. All non-commercial dogs, cats and ferrets entering Great Britain on approved routes (every route other than Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies) under the Pet Travel rules undergo 100% documentary and identity checks by authorised pet checkers at the point of entry. Carriers can refer suspected non-compliances to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Animal welfare legislation requires that when animals are transported their transportation must comply fully with legal requirements aimed at protecting their welfare, such as, they must be fit for the intended journey; transported in the appropriate conditions; and, when transportation is for a commercial purpose, the transporter must hold a GB authorisation. APHA works collaboratively with Border Force and other operational partners at ports, airports and inland, sharing intelligence to enforce the Pet Travel rules, disrupt illegal imports, safeguard the welfare of animals and seize non-compliant animals. The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 8 June 2021 and completed committee on 18 November 2021. The Bill allows us to further protect the welfare of pets by introducing restrictions to crack down on the low welfare movements of pets into Great Britain and includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation. In August 2021, the Government launched an eight-week consultation on our proposed restrictions to the commercial and non-commercial movement of pets, including rescue pets, into Great Britain. This included proposals to ban the commercial and non-commercial movement into Great Britain of puppies under the age of six months, heavily pregnant dogs and dogs which have been subjected to low welfare practices such as ear cropping or tail docking. We are currently analysing the responses to the consultation and will publish a summary response in due course. This will allow us to take onboard the views of the public and interested groups on puppy smuggling and low welfare imports in order to shape our future policy.

Air Pollution: Urban Areas

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the overall mass of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the major urban areas of southern England in 2020 was rural background concentrations.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of of regional background concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in England in 2020 were from (a) ammonium nitrate, (b) ammonium sulphate and (c) organic particles.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the urban background mass PM2.5 in (a) central and (b) southern UK was made up of secondary particles in 2020.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the urban background mass PM2.5 in central and southern UK in 2020 was transported from mainland Europe.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average proportion was of total exposure to concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) in 2020 for people in each of (a) England (b) Northern Ireland (c) Wales and (d) Scotland from naturally occurring sources such as pollen and sea spray.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average proportion of total exposure to concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) was in 2020 for people in each of (a) England (b) Northern Ireland (c) Wales and (d) Scotland that was transported to the UK from other European countries.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average proportion of total exposure to concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) in 2020 was for people in each of (a) England (b) Northern Ireland (c) Wales and (d) Scotland from anthropogenic sources in the UK.

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of total mass concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the UK in 2020 was directly attributable to primary emissions of PM2.5 as reported in the National Statistics release published on 14 February 2022.

Jo Churchill: Assessment of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is undertaken on an annual basis to understand the key sources and contributions to PM2.5 in the UK, as well as to assess compliance with legally binding air quality standards. Compliance in 2020 was detailed in the Air Pollution in the UK report (2020) published in Sept 2021 (available here: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/annualreport/). Further analysis is ongoing and a follow up technical modelling report, detailing the source apportionment undertaken for 2020, will be published on our UK Air website in the coming weeks.

Nutrition: Public Private Partnerships

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a public-private partnership in the UK to increase the low levels of fibre intakes amongst the public.

Victoria Prentis: Defra is working with stakeholders across the food system to explore options for delivering healthier and more sustainable diets. We have discussed a range of options to help increase consumption of fibre, fruit and vegetables (including the role of public private partnerships) and will continue to engage with industry and experts in the weeks and months ahead.

Fires: Air Pollution

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to reverse the annual increase in particulate emissions from residential burning (domestic consumption).

Jo Churchill: We have introduced legislation encouraging householders to switch to less polluting fuels used for domestic burning, and, as of January 2022, only Ecodesign compliant solid fuel stoves are able to enter the market for sale across the UK.Through our landmark Environment Act 2021 we have amended the Clean Air Act 1993 in England to create a simpler mechanism for local authorities to tackle smoke emissions. From May 2022 smoke emissions in a Smoke Control Area will be subject to a civil rather than criminal regime, enforced with a financial penalty, making it easier for local authorities to tackle illegal domestic solid fuel burning.The Environment Act 2021 also ensures more substantive action can be taken by enabling local authorities to prosecute when smoke is repeatedly emitted from private dwellings under the statutory nuisance regime.

Solvents: Air Pollution

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce emissions from the domestic use of solvents in household products including cleaning products, aerosols and cosmetics.

Jo Churchill: As stated in the Clean Air strategy, we will explore a number of options to reduce NMVOC emissions from household products, including cleaning products. As a first step, we are building the evidence base to ensure any future interventions in this space are appropriately targeted and effective. That is why Defra’s Air Quality Expert Group, with support from members of the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution, are producing a report on indoor air quality, focusing on fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds as the air pollutants which are prevalent in indoor environments. This report will be published later this year.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Training

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has implemented a training programme to provide civil servants with skills to support its transition to net zero.

Jo Churchill: A seven-hour blended Carbon and Climate Change training package was made available to Environment Agency (EA) staff in 2021. The EA is the largest of Defra's arm's length bodies and represents over a third of Defra group staff. Following evaluation of this training, Defra plans to implement the same training package for all Defra group staff this year.In addition, the new Government Curriculum will include modules on the implications of Net Zero, climate change and wider environmental issues for government. In the first phase, the Government Skills & Curriculum Unit (GSCU) is working with other Departments (including BEIS, Defra and FCDO) to create an awareness level training resource for all civil servants. This will be piloted from April 2022. In the next phases, GSCU will look at tailored provision for specific Functions and Professions, and will signpost the training and other resources on Net Zero which are already being provided internally at practitioner and expert levels by Government Departments.

Fertilisers and Food Supply

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on UK food security; and what steps he is taking to assist farmers to find alternatives to the use of fertiliser made from fossil fuels.

Victoria Prentis: Food prices are influenced by a range of factors - from currency fluctuations to commodity prices. While recent pressures have been sustained, we have a highly resilient food supply chain. Direct food imports from Eastern Europe are low, and we do not expect any significant direct impact on UK food supply. However, we will continue to speak with the industry to understand any potential pressures. The UK sources fertiliser from a wide range of countries and also produces fertiliser such as ammonium nitrate domestically. The situation and impacts on farmers in particular, and industry more widely, from current high fertiliser prices, are being monitored closely. There are nutrient management techniques and technologies that can be used alongside fertiliser products that help the efficacy of fertilisers and help maintain high yield and good quality produce. Support in the form of guidance from fertiliser suppliers and agricultural organisations such as the National Farmers Union (NFU) can be found from various public sources. Defra is aware that the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has published many helpful public pieces of guidance, advice and webinar recordings on mitigating high fertiliser prices. Defra is in regular contact with key industry figures including the NFU, fertiliser producers and importers, and the key sector representative body for fertilisers, the Agricultural Industries Confederation. We are continuing to monitor the security and stability of fertiliser and other supply chains, and working closely with colleagues across Government and devolved administrations as well as industry figures to share knowledge and discuss all options available to tackle these issues. This will help inform how Defra and other industry bodies can best support farmers. Defra is committed to promoting the use of less environmentally damaging fertilisers and better nutrient use efficiency. The current shortage of inorganic fertilisers provides an opportunity for farmers to continue exploring increasing their use of environmentally sustainable products and more efficient nutrient management methods.

Home Office

Home Office: Internet

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of her Department's services are hosted on public cloud providers; and which of those services are hosted on (a) Amazon Web Services, (b) Microsoft Azure and (c) Google Cloud Platform.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the services provided to her Department by ServiceNow are hosted by public cloud providers.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of her Department's data is stored by public cloud providers; and whether that data is encrypted at rest.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office, as with other government departments follows the Government Digital Service (GDS) advice to move towards Public cloud first for our computing needs. This allows us to build scale, flexibility and control into our applications and infrastructure. The Home Office is a large user of both AWS and Azure. The use of these capabilities varies from business application deployments to encrypted storage and compute. This is supplemented by robust and targeted private hosting capabilities. We do not use Google Cloud Platform at this point. At the time of answering this the department has over 250 different application groupings on AWS and Azure. This will include duplications where services may have Development, Test, Pre-product and production environments in either or both. The Home Office uses ServiceNow’s Software as a Service based service. This is used predominately for IT related service and management based on their ITIL model. The service provided is a private enterprise cloud service, fully owned and operated by ServiceNow with Home Office managing the configuration and use.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March to Question 126611, with reference to the 351,300 EU Settlement Scheme applications outstanding on 31 Jan 2022 recorded in the monthly summary data link provided, how long those applicants will have to wait before their applications are processed; and if she will make a statement.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Immigration: EU Countries

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applicants who met the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme have been waiting over six months for their applications to be processed and what steps are being taken to address the delays in processing applications.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the earliest arrival date of Afghan citizens to the UK under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Visas: Belarus and Russia

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) Russian and (b) Belarussian nationals can secure visas for the UK from abroad after fleeing the country in which they were living due to persecution for speaking out against the war in Ukraine.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Julian Assange

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when Operation Pelican commenced; which Government departments were involved in that operation; how many Government staff were assigned to it; and what the total cost of that operation was.

Kit Malthouse: Operation Pelican was led by the Metropolitan Police. The Home Office does not hold information on the total cost of Operation Pelican or which Government departments were involved. The Home Office have confirmed that at various points there were eight officials working in the department involved in Operation Pelican.The Home Office does not hold the operational detail of Operation Pelican, but the Metropolitan Police Service has previously stated that since Julian Assange entered the Ecuadorian Embassy in June 2012, the Metropolitan Police Service maintained a police presence there.

United Kingdom Football Policing Unit: National Police Chiefs' Council

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential benefits and dis-benefits of transferring the Home Office UK Football Policing Unit to the National Police Chiefs' Council; and whether she has plans to do that.

Kit Malthouse: There are strong strategic reasons for locating the UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) within policing, rather than as a central Government body. UKFPU’s current set-up as a civil service outfit constrains its ability to direct operational policing teams and unambiguously contribute to, and shape, the national football policing strategy.Locating UKFPU in policing – rather than the Home Office – would bring it closer to its customer base, helping to provide a better service to the police and do more on the frontline to tackle football disorder.It would also streamline and strengthen accountability, making clear that the police are responsible to the public for decisions that are made about policing, and preventing, football disorder on the ground. For these reasons I have asked my officials to take the work forward, in order to move the UKFPU into the NPCC later this year.

Begging and Vagrancy: Greater London

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested under the Vagrancy Act 1824 in London in each of the last ten years for which figures are available.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office does not centrally hold the information requested.The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests made by police forces in England and Wales. The most recent statistics, including a breakdown of arrests by police force area, covering the year ending 31 March 2021 can be found in Section 3 here: Police powers and procedures: Stop and search and arrests, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)These data only cover arrests for notifiable offences and therefore will not include arrests made under the Vagrancy Act 1824.

Metropolitan Police

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police constables have been employed in the Metropolitan Police Service in each of the last 12 years for which figures are available.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the budget of the Metropolitan Police Service was in each of the last 12 years for which figures are available.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales on a biannual basis in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Information on the total number of police officers by rank and Police Force Area as at the 31st March each year since 2007, can be found in the workforce open data tables published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-open-data-tablesWhile the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin remains the key measure of the size of the police workforce, as part of the Police Officer Uplift Programme, the Home Office also publishes a quarterly update on the number of officers (headcount terms only) in England and Wales, also broken down by PFA. Data are available here: Police Officer uplift statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)The Home Office also collects and publishes data on agreed police funding in England and Wales from the financial year ending March 2016 on an annual basis in the ‘Police funding for England and Wales statistics’, available here: Police funding for England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Force-level funding breakdowns before the financial year ending March 2016 are not available due to a number of significant changes in the structure of police funding and policing.For 2022/23, the Metropolitan Police Service will receive up to £3,236.5 million.

Members: Correspondence

Robert Largan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she intends to respond to the correspondence from the Member for High Peak constituency, dated 22 December 2021, referenced RL25134.

Rachel Maclean: A reply was provided by the Minister for Safeguarding on 7 March.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

House Insurance: Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions has he had with representatives of insurance providers to ensure continued insurance coverage for customers participating in the Homes for Ukraine programme.

Eddie Hughes: The Department has engaged with key partners in the insurance sector and full guidance for sponsors will be available shortly.

Refugees: Ukraine

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to provide financial support to people who volunteer to house Ukrainian refugees in their households.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if local authorities will be able to sponsor refugees from Ukraine under the humanitarian sponsorship scheme.

Dehenna Davison: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if the Government will take steps to ensure that British citizens wishing to sponsor Ukrainian refugees are able to do so.

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using university accommodation for refugees from Ukraine.

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish details of each stage of the Homes for Ukraine scheme for sponsors who register their interest in sponsoring named individuals, including timescales.

Eddie Hughes: I refer the Hon Member to the Secretary of State's Oral Statement to Parliament of 14 March 2022.

Refugees: Ukraine

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many officials in his Department are working on the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees.

Eddie Hughes: We are working across the Department and indeed across Government to get the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme ready whilst continuing to deliver existing commitments such as Afghan resettlement. We are reprioritising work to provide the resource needed to deliver these priorities.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the potential average timeframe for receiving (a) a decision of eligibility for the Homes for Ukraine scheme following submission of an application for sponsorship of named individuals and (b) immigration clearance to enter the UK for named individuals who are accepted for sponsorship.

Eddie Hughes: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Rented Housing

Dehenna Davison: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that there is sufficient social housing stock available for larger families.

Stuart Andrew: Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) will provide up to 180,000 new homes across the country, should economic conditions allow. The Programme supports a wide range of affordable housing, including social housing for homes of all sizes.Local authorities should determine the types of social housing needed for their communities. In March 2020 Government set out a clear expectation that local planning authorities must have an up-to-date plan in place by the end of 2023. This will ensure that they will be in the best possible position to adapt to the new plan-making system, further details on which we will set out in due course. Having an effective, up to date plan in place is essential to planning for and meeting housing requirements; in ways that make good use of land and result in well-designed and attractive places to live. The Government expects local authorities to work together to plan for and deliver the housing and infrastructure our communities need.

Renewable Energy: Planning Permission

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to update planning laws to support an increase in the contribution of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources to the energy security of the UK.

Stuart Andrew: National planning policy is clear local authorities should support transition to a low-carbon future, including having a positive strategy in place to promote energy from renewable and low carbon sources.As set out in Net Zero Strategy, we intend to review the National Planning Policy Framework to make sure it contributes to climate change mitigation as fully as possible, and help bring greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

Housing: Prices

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to rising house prices, what recent steps he has taken to help first-time buyers own a property.

Stuart Andrew: We committed in the Levelling Up White Paper to supporting more first-time buyers onto the housing ladder. Since 2010, Government-backed schemes have helped over 758,000 households to purchase a home, including Help to Buy and Right to Buy. Our new First Homes scheme provides homes discounted by at least 30% for first-time buyers.

Poverty

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to rising household costs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of local authority funding for support for residents in poverty.

Kemi Badenoch: The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2022/23 makes available an additional £3.7 billion to councils. This is an increase in local authority funding for 2022/23 of over 4.5% in real terms, which will ensure councils across the country have the resources they need to deliver key services. The most relatively deprived areas of England will receive 14% more per dwelling in available resource through this year’s Settlement than the least deprived areas.

Council Housing: Greater London

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many completions of new council homes there were in London in each of the last 12 years for which figures are available.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many completions of new social housing units there were in London in each of the last 12 years for which figures are available.

Stuart Andrew: The number of completions of new affordable homes in London since 1991-92 is available via the open data published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-affordable-housing-supplyThese data include information on provider (including local authorities), whether the homes were delivered by new build or acquisition, and on tenure. Information on provider before 2014-15 is less complete and therefore there is a higher number for which the provider is unknown.   In addition, information by tenure and local authority can be found in live tables 1006C to 1007cC and in live table 1011. These tables are available through the weblink above.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Sustainable Development

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether a senior manager in his Department has been given the portfolio for leading on departmental sustainability.

Eddie Hughes: The Government is committed to making its estate and operations more sustainable and resilient, through the Greening Government Commitments. We report on these commitments every quarter. In the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, this work is led by me as Minister for Net Zero, with support from senior officials.

Waking Watch Relief Fund

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what criteria his Department used to assess applications to the Waking Watch Relief Fund for buildings with flammable cladding.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the cost incurred by leaseholders in respect of applications to the Waking Watch Relief Fund for buildings with flammable cladding access that have been refused as a result of fire alarms being installed prior to 17 December 2020.

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to extend the Waking Watch Relief Fund to support tower blocks who installed fire alarms prior to 17 December 2020 where those costs have already been passed on to leaseholders.

Stuart Andrew: Guidance on eligibility criteria for the Waking Watch Relief Fund is published on Gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waking-watch-relief-fund and for the Waking Watch Replacement Fund at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/waking-watch-replacement-fund.We have not made an assessment of the costs incurred by leaseholders who installed fire alarms before the eligibility date for the Waking Watch Relief Fund. However, data on average Waking Watch costs for approved Waking Watch Relief Fund (WWRF) applications is published in the Building Safety Programme data release. The latest data is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/aluminium-composite-material-cladding#acm-remediation-data. This shows average cost of Waking Watch is estimated at £167 per month per dwelling.We recognise that Waking Watch is a costly burden for too many leaseholders which is why Government is providing over £60 million to support the installation of alarms in buildings to replace costly Waking Watch measures. The Waking Watch Replacement fund will pay for alarms in all buildings where a Waking Watch is in place where those costs are passed onto leaseholders. The fund builds on the success of the Waking Watch Relief Fund which is funding alarms in over 320 buildings. The new fund will pay for alarms where installation commenced on or after 10 January 2022 – the date the fund was announced. The Waking Watch Relief Fund paid for alarms installed after 17 December 2020.Government funding does recognise that Waking Watch measures have been in place in too many buildings for too long with leaseholders unfairly picking up these costs. We have considered how we can use limited public funding to best protect leaseholders from the continued burden of costly Waking Watch measures. In this case we have come to the view that government funding must be used to incentivise the right behaviour. That is the installation of alarms which is consistent with industry led guidance and best practice. Funding must, therefore, be used to reduce or end the reliance on Waking Watch measures by installing alarms in as many buildings as possible so that as many leaseholders as possible can be free of these costs. That is why we are unable to cover retrospective costs beyond those dates.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Training

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has implemented a training programme to provide civil servants with skills to support its transition to net zero.

Eddie Hughes: Yes. The new Government Curriculum will include modules on the implications of net zero, climate change and wider environmental issues for government. In the first phase, the Government Skills & Curriculum Unit (GSCU) is working with departments to create an awareness level training resource for all civil servants. This will be piloted from April 2022. In the next phases, GSCU will look at tailored provision for specific functions and professions and will signpost the training and other resources on the transition to net zero, which are already being provided internally at practitioner and expert levels by government departments.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will reconsider the decision to remove the third people and skills pillar from years one and two of UK Shared Prosperity Fund funding.

Neil O'Brien: The primary goal of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is to build pride in place and increase life chances across the UK.The Fund will focus on communities and place and local business interventions to boost pride in place in 2022-23 and 2023-24, alongside support for people and skills through the Multiply adult numeracy programme.As well as funding allocated directly to local areas to deliver innovative local numeracy interventions we will also launch a new digital platform to support flexible and blended learning and a programme of evaluation and Randomised Control Trials to improve evidence about what works to improve adult numeracy.In year three, when the Fund has ramped up to £1.5 billion per annum, local authorities will be able to choose from a full range of people and skills investments to meet local needs and opportunities.

Railways: Regional Planning and Development

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to his Department's white paper, entitled Levelling Up the United Kingdom, published 2 February 2022, what discussions his Department has had with local leaders on plans for the rail network in their respective regions.

Neil O'Brien: The White Paper provides a clear plan to level up every corner of the UK, underpinned by 12 ambitious missions. These include that by 2030, local public transport connectivity across the country will be significantly closer to the standards of London, with improved services, simpler fares and integrated ticketing.Matters relating to the future of the rail network are for the Department for Transport (DfT) and Ministers from DfT routinely engage with local authorities and metro mayors on issues relating to rail infrastructure. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on GOV.UK.

Local Government Pension Scheme: Russia

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the number of Local Government Pension Schemes holding Russia-linked assets; and if he will take steps to help local authorities divest Russia-linked investments.

Kemi Badenoch: The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in England and Wales holds a wide range of global investments, Exposure reported by LGPS funds and asset pools to Russian investments to date is under 1%. It is for administering authorities to decide how best to manage their investments in the best interests of their members and within their legal and fiduciary duties. In the context of the Russian government’s reprehensible actions, the Secretary of State has written to all administering authorities in England and Wales urging them to consider what action it would be appropriate for them to take on divestment, taking account of their fiduciary duty and ethical considerations.

Social Services: Finance

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to restore funding for (a) early help, (b) family support and (c) other early intervention services to pre-austerity levels.

Kemi Badenoch: Children’s social care in Northern Ireland is a transferred power, making it a devolved matter. This answer reflects the position in England. The 2021 Spending Review and Local Government Finance Settlement makes available £54.1 billion for 2022/23 for local government in England, an increase of up to £3.7 billion on 2021/22. This significant investment is largely un-ringfenced in recognition that local leaders know the priorities for their local communities best. The Government has also provided an additional £200 million for Supporting Families. This represents around a 40% real-terms uplift in funding for the programme by 2024-25, taking total planned investment across the next three years to £695 million. This significant investment into early help services comes in advance of Josh MacAlister’s independent review of children’s social care, which will report in the Spring. The Government will consider any recommendations carefully.

Local Government Finance: Greater London

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the total local government finance settlement for London councils was in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2022-23.

Kemi Badenoch: The finance and function of local government has changed significantly between 2010-11 and 2022-23, meaning that our measures of local government funding are not consistent over that period. Since the 2016-17 settlement the consistent measure of local government funding is Core Spending Power. In 2022-23, the government made available a total of £10.5 billion in Core Spending Power for London councils. There is no equivalent Core Spending Power measure for 2010-11, but the total Formula Grant received by London councils was £6.5 billion. These figures are not comparable due to the changes in finance and function of local government, including, but not limited to, the introduction of Business Rates Retention and the inclusion of Council Tax and new Central Government grants in the Core Spending Power measure.

Regional Planning and Development: Gloucestershire

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what investment support is available to companies in Gloucestershire under the levelling up agenda; and if he will make a statement.

Neil O'Brien: The Government is committed to levelling up all areas of the UK. Gloucestershire received over £52 million levelling up fund investment, for a range of regeneration projects and infrastructure improvements. The funding will help to develop projects such as The Forge, a new innovation hub supporting emerging cyber businesses to grow, creating new opportunities for Gloucester City and wider region. Further levelling up funding will be available in the Spring when we expect to launch the next round of the Levelling Up Fund. Further details of that, and the forthcoming UK Shared Prosperity Fund, will be announced soon.

Council Tax: Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether participation in the Government's Homes for Ukraine scheme will prevent eligible people from claiming the single person occupancy council tax discount.

Eddie Hughes: The Government is clear that the entitlement to the council tax single person discount should not be impacted by an individual's participation in the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Cabinet Office

Parliamentary Private Secretaries

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish an updated list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries.

Michael Ellis: A full list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries will be updated in the normal way in due course.

Cabinet Office: Sustainable Development

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether a senior manager in his Department has been given the portfolio for leading on departmental sustainability.

Michael Ellis: The Government is committed to making its estate and operations more sustainable and resilient through the Greening Government Commitments. We report on these commitments every quarter. In the Cabinet Office, this is led by the Head of Estates, working closely with the Government Property Agency, as the main provider of the Cabinet Office estate.

Prime Minister: Lord Lebedev

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister has met Lord Lebedev of Hampton and Siberia in Downing Street.

Michael Ellis: I refer the Rt hon. Member to my answer to PQ 139374 on 17 March.

Cabinet Committees

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish an updated list of Cabinet Committees and their membership.

Michael Ellis: The Cabinet Committee list and membership is decided by the Prime Minister. GOV.UK is updated regularly with the list of Cabinet Committees, their terms of reference, and membership.

Department for International Trade

Meat: Australia and New Zealand

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2022 to Question 132234, for what reason sheep meat imports under the terms of the trade deal with Australia measured in product weight whilst sheep meat imports under the terms of the New Zealand trade deal are measured in carcass weight.

Penny Mordaunt: All trade deals are bespoke. The variations in product treatments across the Australia and New Zealand agreements are the product of separate negotiated outcomes. The final signed deals reflect balanced outcomes which include protections to address any UK industry concerns.

Department for International Trade: Training

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department has implemented a training programme to provide civil servants with skills to support its transition to net zero.

Penny Mordaunt: The new Government Curriculum will include modules on Net Zero, climate change and wider environmental issues for government. The Government Skills & Curriculum Unit is working with other Departments (including the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) to create training resource for all civil servants. This will be piloted from April 2022.

Food and Renewable Energy: Exports

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish any strategic analysis her Department has undertaken on the export opportunities for (a) renewable energy, (b) food and drink and (c) artificial intelligence.

Mike Freer: Published last autumn, our refreshed cross-government Export Strategy: Made in UK, Sold to the World focuses on helping businesses reach their exporting potential. As part of this strategy, the new Food and Drink Export Council will bring together UK Government, the Devolved Administrations and industry, to enable both government and business to best target their efforts. Additionally, we have conducted research into the export opportunities for Renewable Energy which will be published in the summer of this year. As the UK secures new trade deals, we will include provisions on emerging digital technologies, including AI, and champion international data flows, preventing unjustified barriers to data crossing borders while maintaining the UK’s high standards for personal data protection.

Pesticides: Exports

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department has received any correspondence from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on the export of pesticides.

Mike Freer: No records of letters from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office about the export of pesticides are currently held with the Department for International Trade.

Department for International Trade: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will take steps to ensure that her Department and its agencies remove all internal covid-19 related policies, restrictions and mask mandates.

Penny Mordaunt: The Department for International Trade (DIT) continues to follow the Government’s Working Safely guidance, requiring organisations to carry out a risk assessment which includes the risk from COVID-19. DIT have retained our Personal Risk Assessment process to meet this criteria. Following the easing of restrictions in England, guidance on social distancing and similar office measures have been removed. To note, DIT have never mandated facemasks in our office buildings. DIT is committed to encouraging employees to return to the workplace while also supporting flexible working.

Overseas Trade: Zimbabwe

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of recent trends in human rights abuses by Zimbabwean security forces; and what steps her Department plans to take in respect of trade in response to those reports.

Penny Mordaunt: The UK remains concerned by the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, including a lack of accountability for violations. The Overseas Business Risk guidance for Zimbabwe is currently under review. All export licence applications are rigorously reviewed. We will not license the export of equipment where there is a clear risk that it might be used to commit or facilitate internal repression.

Department for International Trade: Sustainable Development

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether a senior manager in her Department has been given the portfolio for leading on departmental sustainability.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government is committed to making its estate and operations more sustainable and resilient, through the Greening Government Commitments.The Department for International Trade reports on these commitments every quarter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and publish a report in the sustainability section of the Department’s Annual Reports and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-trade-annual-report-and-accounts). The Government Property Agency are responsible for managing and maintaining the department’s estate. Senior officials with relevant functional responsibility lead this work on behalf of the department.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Falkland Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in the context of the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the Falkland Islands, what plans her Department has to celebrate the anniversary of that event.

Chris Philp: The Falkland conflict was a significant moment in our country’s history and it is vitally important that those who lost their lives are honoured and remembered.The Royal British Legion will be marking the 40th anniversary of the Falklands conflict with thousands of veterans, civilians, and bereaved families invited to attend an event at the National Memorial Arboretum on Tuesday 14 June 2022. The all-day event will come together with a service of remembrance followed by a reception.Commemorations will take place around the country from April 2022.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what projects her Department has in partnership with the British Overseas Territories; and whether her Department has plans to work with the British Overseas Territories on future projects.

Nigel Huddleston: My Department works closely with the Overseas Territories in pursuit of our obligations under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Four of the UK's thirty three World Heritage Sites are situated in the Overseas Territories of Bermuda, Gibraltar, Tristan da Cunha and the Pitcairn Islands, and we will welcome applications from further sites to be considered for the UK's Tentative List when the review is launched this year.Nine of our Overseas Territories will be represented at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer. I wish each of their teams success.

Tennis: Russia

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to help prohibit all Russian players from the Wimbledon Tennis Championship 2022.

Nigel Huddleston: Russia’s assault on Ukraine is an unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic state. President Putin must not be allowed to exploit major sporting and cultural events on the world stage to seek to legitimise his regime’s invasion.In response, the UK Government, alongside 36 other nations, issued a joint statement calling on international sporting federations to endorse the principles that:Russia and Belarus should not be permitted to host, bid for or be awarded any international sporting events.Individual athletes selected by Russia and Belarus, administrators and teams representing the Russian or Belarusian state should be banned from competing in other countries, including those representing bodies, cities or brands that are effectively representing Russia or Belarus, such as major football clubs.Wherever possible, appropriate actions should be taken to limit sponsorship and other financial support from entities with links to the Russian or Belarusian states.The issue of Russian or Belarusian individual sports persons participating in a truly neutral capacity - in the UK and overseas - adds further complexity, and our position will have the greatest impact if it is taken in line with other nations.We are engaging with national governing bodies, including the All England Lawn Tennis Club, and international counterparts in order to reach an agreed position that can be implemented as consistently as possible.

Culture: Finance

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the press release of 12 March 2022, £48 million to safeguard nation’s critical cultural heritage, how much of the £48 million will go to cultural venues in (a) London, (b) North East, (c) North West, (d) Yorkshire and the Humber, (e) East Midlands, (f) West Midlands, (g) East of England, (h) South West and (i) South East.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what projects will receive funding from the Cultural Development Fund announced on 12 March 2022.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what projects will receive funding from the Libraries Improvement Fund announced on 12 March 2022.

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what projects will receive funding from the Museum Estate and Development Fund announced on 12 March 2022.

Nigel Huddleston: All details of successful projects awarded funding as part of the Cultural Investment Fund, including regional breakdown, are published on the Arts Council website here.

Local Broadcasting: Radio

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure the long-term sustainability of the community radio sector.

Julia Lopez: The Government has for a number of years provided financial support to the community radio sector by way of the Community Radio Fund (CRF), which distributes £400,000 on an annual basis to help fund the core costs of running licensed community radio stations and enable the sector to move towards self-sustainability. Furthermore, in the last two financial years, we have supported the CRF to go beyond this core funding, with significant uplifts targeted on tackling loneliness and to reflect the sector’s important contribution to the government’s ambitions on levelling up.We have also recently commissioned a full external evaluation of the CRF, the report of which will be published shortly. We will be working closely with Ofcom, as the administrators of the Fund, on potential improvements to the running of the Fund in the light of the findings of that evaluation, to ensure that it works as efficiently and effectively as possible.In addition, we have in recent years worked to support the growth of small-scale Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), both through passing the necessary legislation and in working with sector stakeholders to support the rollout of licences. Small-scale DAB represents a low-cost route to broadcasting on a terrestrial digital platform, and we envisage it enabling a significant number of new community services to launch as well as allowing existing stations to move onto digital over the coming months and years.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Carbon Emissions

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has published a plan setting out the steps it plans to take to transition to net zero emissions.

Julia Lopez: DCMS is committed to reducing emissions and energy consumption wherever possible, as part of the UK’s transition to net zero. The Department’s current targets to make progress on reducing emissions have been published, as part of the Greening Government Commitments.The Government published the Net Zero Strategy in October 2021, which sets out policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet our net zero target by 2050.

Women and Equalities

Chronic Illnesses

Feryal Clark: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how the 2010 Equalities Act applies to people with (a) endometriosis, (b) polycystic ovary syndrome and (c) other chronic conditions.

Kemi Badenoch: The Equality Act 2010 (the Act), may protect some people with endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome as well as other chronic conditions on the grounds of disability. This will be the case where someone suffering from these disorders experiences a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. An employer or a service provider is required to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not put at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled people. Depending on circumstances, the Act may also provide protection from discrimination on grounds of sex and/or age.The Act also provides that people with progressive conditions that have effects that increase in severity over time should be regarded as meeting the criteria for having a disability before it actually has that effect.